Rocket League - The Story
by IceCreamTruckRL
Summary: Years after the human extinction, their creations with an exceptional artificial intelligence build their own civilization based on the legendary sport that serves as their sole purpose on their existence: Rocket League. A mysterious discovery unveils some clues about the human past and brings new hope for Psyonix and the upcoming World Cup.
1. Chapter 1: The Awakening

**Rocket League**

 **The story**

 **Chapter 1: The Awakening**

Zippy and Venom finish their doubles match and exit the field through the opening that appears behind their goal. They roam a long and sad path. They had lost. And not just that. They were winning by three goals with only one minute left to play. It was a painful defeat.

"Don't worry Zip, it was my fault. The last goal is on me."

"You played well, V. It was just bad luck."

The cars continue to travel through the corridor that leads them to their garages, where the mechanics are waiting for the pair. Suddenly, Zippy stops.

"Hey, V?" His teammate brakes and turns around.

"What is it?" asks Venom. There's a very well camouflaged gate half-open in the corridor of the Mannfield, one of the biggest stadiums in the world. Both cars doubt before doing anything, but their curiosity offers them an irresistible invitation.

The gate opens completely. Venom looks at Zippy and moves his wheels in signal of approval. They enter the chamber… The room is as huge as it is dark. Zippy wonders how a place this big could be so well hidden. "This is so weird. Are we not supposed to be here?" Zippy thinks.

"Zip, look at this!" He approaches and both cars contemplate four big containers. "Road Hog, Octane, Takumi, Backfire..." That's what the labels say.

"Could they be?"

"Cars. And I think they are new models!" ends Zippy

"No... It's something else… It can't be... The government denied their existence all this time." Venom shows to be afraid and seems to obviate some details Zippy doesn't know about. "It wouldn't be something new for them to lie after all. They are jerks."

"Should we?" A tempting button is placed underneath the containers, which cover whatever is inside of them. "Come on, Zip, we have to find out what is inside those things."

"I don't know, V. It could be dangerous..." Zippy hesitates for some seconds but yields to the pressure. "Fine, but just to see what's inside. Then we leave and talk to Delo."

"Deal."

Venom approaches to the button on the floor, just next to the "Octane" container. "Ready?" he asks. Zippy nods and the button sinks. Instantly, the four containers open. The duo is blinded by an intense light that emanates from the boxes.

"Impossible..." Zippy can't hide his excitement and surprise once the light fades. Four cars that had never been seen before on Psyonix appear to be in a cryogenic-like state, entangled in wires and submerged in a light blue liquid. Venom stands motionless and completely in awe for their discovery.

The first one, the Road Hog, is the biggest of the four. It looks somewhat like a pickup truck and it's far bigger than Venom and Zippy. The second one is a perfect mix between the two cars, but with a spoiler included. The next one is the Takumi. With an elegant and sporty look, it appears to be the most agile car of the four. The last one is a not so big car with a vintage design. With a very tall grill, the Backfire is definitely the most different car of the bunch.

"Umm, Venom?" He knew that if Zippy was calling him by his full name, what he was about to see couldn't be good.

"No, no, no!" The light blue liquid starts to drain from the containers.

"What do we do!?" As soon as Zippy ends his question, the Road Hog destroys the glass of his container and lands in front of them.

"Stand still..." Venom says quietly to his partner. Then says, "Hi, my name is Venom. This is Zippy. We won't hurt you." The pickup truck stands still and appears to test his wheels, lights, and audio system. "Where are we?" finally says.

"Welcome to Psyonix, bud." responds Zippy. Seeing as Road Hog doesn't answer, Venom continues:

"Psyonix is the name of our planet. It's written in all of our engines, and it was decided to be like this many years ago. It isn't a very old nor big planet. And it can't be compared to the place where we came from."

"I'm sorry. I can't remember anything. How did you call me?"

"We didn't call you anything, but judging by this label, you are a Road Hog. We can call you Hog if you like it better." Zippy tries to calm the situation.

Suddenly, the other cars start to get out of their respective containers. Not by breaking them, but just waiting for the glasses to go down allowing them to escape. As soon as he is free, the Backfire charges full speed towards Zippy. "Hey, hey! Watch it!" Venom screams, shielding his friend by crashing into the aggressor, but not strongly enough to hurt him. "Calm yourself! See those containers over there? You were inside them some moments ago. And who knows for how long... My partner Zip and I just freed you, so don't try to pull anything on us."

"TK?" The Octane asks the Takumi, who doesn't understand and stays confused. "Hog?" ("I knew it. I knew they called him Hog," thinks Zippy). "Fireback!" The Octane starts jumping for joy.

"Wait a second... Octane?" The Road Hog starts to remember.

"Agh, you again boys..." Fireback looks like he starts to remember something. "I'm sorry... Zip? That's how you are called? It looks like I've just awoken from a long slumber..."

"No problem... Fireback."

In the background, some sirens start to sound and Venom becomes uneasy very fast. "Oh, no, no, no. We have to leave now! We shouldn't be here. Long story. Follow me!" The four cars react slowly but finally begin to follow their liberators. They go out into the corridor and the gate shuts down violently. In the rearview, Zippy sees a herd of Batmobiles.

"Zip, take care of them. Take them to Gizmo and Dev. They'll know what to do." Venom brakes slowly and confronts the police:

"Agents, good morning. I was quickly taking my teammate to the garage. He has some damage on his headlight. Sorry for the speed." Two Batmobiles stop and inspect the area in which the gate was situated, but can't seem to find anything.

"It's fine... But be careful, okay? You wouldn't want to run into something that's not good for you. That's not good for anyone. There could be… lethal consequences," adds threateningly one of the cops.

"Yes sir" Venom slowly returns to where he was originally heading as he feels the cold stares from the cops in his back.

Zippy arrives with the recently awaken cars and nervously announces, "Gizmo, Dev, prepare the Beckwith. We have guests. And what guests!" Gizmo shows up, apparently in a bad mood, but abruptly brakes when he sees them. "It can't be... It's you..." Zippy confusedly looks at him: "What are you talking about?"

"Ah, you are too young," enters the X-Devil, or Dev. "We all learned from this legends. I knew you hadn't died."

"Can somebody tell me what's going on?" Zippy asks impatiently.

"I think that your friend loves us, boy," says the old Fireback.

"So you still have the same humor, don't you?" says Dev happily

"What's all this commotion for?" A grumpy Delo enters the room. When he sees the cars, he slowly approaches specifically towards one of them.

"Fireback..."

"DeLorean..."

Both cars look at each other for a long while and everyone in the room feels the tension. A not so nice story was hidden behind those stares.

"Okay, okay, I see you've already made acquaintances. Hate to break the moment, but there's a ton of cops in the hallway. So if it doesn't bother you all, we need to leave... Now!" yells Venom as he enters the garage.

"Come on, he's right," adds Gizmo, "We'll have time to catch up later. Especially with TK, that looks even more lost than a rookie in its first match."


	2. Chapter 2: History

**Chapter 2: History**

An old DeLorean leads the convoy through the secret tunnel that they built a few years ago. Threats from the government have forced them to take some extreme measures.

"¿So you don't remember anything, Takumi?" asks Delo in a funny mood. "You've made history, boy… Rookie of the year? Nothing comes to mind? Last championship with humans? The great 2100 finale? Too bad…"

"Leave him alone, you four wheeled grayscale," interrupts Fireback causing Hog to laugh. Then he explains to TK: "It's the only color he has," and continues laughing.

"Don't speak, you big forehead" Delo returns Backfire the kindness.

"Come on, quit the chit chat and please refresh the memory of these legends," Venom complains. Zippy ads disorientated: "Yes, please somebody clear this up."

"Would you like to tell it or will you leave me the honors?" Delo asks Fireback, who seems to get sad.

"All yours. I don't remember a few things, anyway."

"Year 2070: humans created us. According to them, we were the first excellent artificial intelligence. First ones with the ability to think, reason, create, feel. But they narrowed all that capacity to a single sport: Rocket League. They used us to compete or win money. We don't know what-"

"What is money?" Zippy interrupts.

His partner V answers him: "With that they got the things necessary to live or enjoy. The more they had, the happier they were, supposedly…"

"We proceed, then…" Delo looks impatiently at Zippy. "We don't know what happened to them but things started to get weirder. Rumors of arranged matches and bribes and fraudulent administrations were growing more and more each day. Thirty years later, everything exploded. But we'll get to that. Are you catching up?"

The four thawed cars, plus Zip, nod very concentrated.

"Ok, then. The first decade was called _The Scarab Era._ These cars were the first models created by humans. Their weird wheeled extremities allowed them to grab stuff, and by consequence realize certain jobs and duties for their masters. Scarab population grew uncontrollably. Thousands of them were released even to the public, who started to treat them as pets or slaves, for the less fortunate. In the year 2080, the mold is broken and the best car in the universe is created."

"Stop kidding…" whispers Fireback.

"I'm just telling the facts! That car was me, of course. With an artificial intelligence far superior to the Scarab, everyone wanted me on their teams. Wait a minute! Do you remember the game itself or I have to explain that to you, too?"

"Umm… sorry…" TK looks disappointed and Octane cheers him up: "It's okay… You will remember soon. Don't worry…"

"We will get to that later," Delo continues. "My capability in making in-game decisions was way better than the Scarab. But the fabrication cost was almost a hundred times higher. They only built five models. And you know what happened to the other four." He pauses for some time and the awkward silence floods the entire convoy, which continues its long haul.

"Stay strong, my friend…" Fireback, for the first time, shows a positive attitude towards Delo. The rest of them are surprised with the car's sudden attitude change.

"What he wants to say," proceeds Fireback, "is that it hasn't been easy for unique models. We all are unique models, guys. Some of you don't know this, but there are only four models which were built only one time. Actually, they say there is a fifth one: the boss of those bastards. And he is 'in the top of the chain food'. Some deny his existence, because he never played a game. But I know he's there. I know he arranged all the trash that happened many years ago. By the way… What year is this?

"2300," answers Gizmo.

"2300!?" Fireback screams so loud that some cars get scared and almost lose their tracks. "Sorry. Didn't mean to yell. The idea of being almost dead for this many years doesn't excite me very much. Anyway… because of human's arrangements and to eliminate competition, demolitions were allowed. A horrible and cruel technique to literally destroy a car in the middle of the game. Only those four cars I've mentioned could demolish, because they were created with that purpose. Many brothers were lost in the last decade. From 2080 to 2090 was the _Golden Era._ A sport with a clean and fun competition. It was an honor to represent some of the humans. Others, however… But from 2090 onwards, many cars died demolished. It was getting so bad that humans were forced to maintain at least one model of each car. And that happened. Those models are us. That's why there are thousands of Scarabs and only one model of the other cars different than them. And that's the reason they seem to serve and praise us."

"We have spent years telling them that they are equals to us, but there's no way. They love the sport and see us as superiors and unreachable," ads Delo, now more lively. "Today we play for a much more honorable motive. Every hundred years, a World Tournament, the World Cup, decides who will be reigning for the next hundred. And guess who are reigning right now? Just saying their names fills me with anger. Merc, Dominus, Ripper and Grog."

"And don't forget Paladin, the traitor…" says Fireback. "When he saw they were about to win everything, he left without flinching."

The cars are almost reaching their destination and everyone is thinking deeply after the memory storm they have just experienced. Zippy doubts but finally speaks: "There is one thing I still don't understand. Why the hell are we in another planet?"

"That's the saddest part," mentions Delo. "Humans perished mainly because of their wars and hate. We don't know how but we woke up here someday, with unimaginable resources to rise again. We baptized this planet as Psyonix, the name of the company that built us, and we did what we could. It's a small city but growing every year. Scarabs were very kind and helpful building all you can see. We owe them our life. Another reason why we keep playing the sport they like so much."

Zippy appears to understand almost everything: "Oh, fine. Hard to assume but I think it's enough. One last question… "Why are these four recognized as legends?"

"Now comes the fun part, Zip. You'll see when we get to the training field." Venom, Dev and Gizmo laugh at the rookie's ignorance.


	3. Chapter 3: Legends

**Chapter 3: Legends**

It's midnight when the cars arrive to Beckwith Park: court used for Delo's team to practice. Fireworks. Conformed by Gizmo, Venom, X-Devil and Zippy, Fireworks represent the only hope on bringing down the power of the Sand Sharks. Those four merciless cars whose purpose was to eliminate repeated models. They are naturally bad, addicted to power and authority. But there weren't always only two sides. Before, they were hundreds of teams. The most important ones, of course, were four: besides the forementioned, there also were the recently awakened ones, the Titans, that used to be the perfect rivals for the Sharks. They were always disputing unforgettable finals, in which the good side won almost every time. And finally, True Brothers. Masamune, Esper, Marauder and Aftershock. With a few won championships on the human era, they strengthened as a tough team, but they could never overcome the death of one of their members. As it is said on the name of the team, the Esper brothers were the most promising cars in Rocket League, until Grog decided to bury their hope and pulverize one of them. Since that moment, they've retired from the competitions. Now they live in the shadows.

Zippy approaches his friend Venom: "Hey, V. I'm still pretty lost… Why does everybody seem to admire them? I have never seen them in my life!"

"You were created just a few years after the Great Disappearance, Zip. Everything happened when-," Hog interrupts him saying, "Let me tell it, Venom. I think everybody wants to know what happened."

"Guys! Come here for a second," Venom calls the rest of the cars. The nine of them form a kind of audience in the middle of the Beckwith to hear the mighty truck.

"I can't deny that I have waited a long time to hear what had really happened," confesses Delo. "I've never believed the human versions."

"I think you all remember the historical 2100 finale, don't you? Sorry, TK, that question goes to them. Even though it was your best championship. Great memories… Anyway, many years passed full of discussions about the demolition. Most of the humans supported it but they were some who resisted. After nine dark years, humans came to an agreement. A tournament which would define the destiny of it all. It was expected that the two final teams were going to be the usual: ours, Titans, and them, Sharks. It was decided that the winning team would determine whether the demolition was going to be allowed or not. Either way, we had an excellent relationship with our owners. For them it was worth the effort. The tournament was played and the Final arrived. A single match, in that case. You know the story: TK scored in extra time and the crown was ours. We were sure that demolition was going to end that year. But something terrible happened in the tunnels that night."

Octane wants to leave but Fireback encourages him to stay. "You can do it, son." Hog goes on.

"We were kidnapped and tortured by days. They told us not to ban demolition. Everything went too far. By not agreeing with them, Sand Sharks began to demolish even in friendly matches. They even used that as a way to torture us. And that's how less than a hundred of repeated models were left. We were about to give up, but our owners rescued us just in time. One more day and I think we were going to accept the deal. We couldn't resist anymore. We never knew what happened later because they put us in those containers you found some days ago. 'We have to do it! It's the only way!' they told us repeatedly. I don't know how we ended up in this planet. And I don't know what happened to Rocket League since we left that day…"

"I know," Gizmo says after some silent seconds. "When you left, everything worsened. Matches were practically death sentences. Years later, demolition was banned. You know why?" Fireback looks at him with anxious sadness. "Repeated models didn't exist anymore. Because of economic crisis and wars, companies couldn't afford building again the models. Since then, we are the only unique models."

"And that's not all," adds Dev. The other cars waited for the next words with fear. "The Sharks want to allow demolition again."

"What?!" Fireback explodes. "That's preposterous! How can they allow it if there's only one car of each model?"

Dev answers him calmly: "They have a plan. Live like gods and be venerated by the Scarabs. Now there are not humans around, they want it all. We were created with a good purpose, but them… Their purpose was always evil." A hollow silence filled the atmosphere in the Beckwith. Everyone was trying to process all the facts. It's a lot of history to digest so fast. Hog finally breaks the silence.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know it had gone so far. If only we had been there"

"You would have been killed," finishes Delo. "Don't even think to blame yourselves. Thanks to all of you we all had hope. Do you know why we are here? Does this field look familiar? This is your natural habitat. You wrote legends in these courts. We grew up with your examples. And let me tell you something. Just like you long ago represented the resistance against the evilness of the Sharks, I cordially invite you to take that place once again and lead us all to bring down those damn murderers. Please!"

Hog thinks and looks at Octane. Fireback returns that look with approval. Takumi seems insecure but agrees. Hog answers.

"Let's do it."

"Let's do it!" repeats Octane jumping from the excitement.

"Yeah, that bastards are going to pay. Especially Dom. Especially Dom…." susurrates Fireback.

Nobody understands what he means but they start to celebrate through all the field. Everyone flies with their boost except for TK, who doesn't remember how to do it quite well.

"Let's begin. Shall we?" The happy DeLorean pushes a button next to the field and a ball emerges in the middle of the Beckwith.

"Oh, I've missed this." Octane charges full speed at the ball.


	4. Chapter 4: The Training

**Chapter 4: The Training**

The ball is shot straight into a corner of the field. It lifts, turns upwards into the curvy corner and remains floating meters above the goal. In a classy way, Fireback grazes the ball, passing it to Hog, who comes in like a train to score it on the top corner of the net.

"Wow…" Zippy can't hide his admiration. "So that's how we're supposed to play in order to win the championship?"

The Titans are characterized by their "magical" and beautiful game style. Fond of playing on the air, they confused their rivals until the perfect moment to score. Unlike their nemesis, who have a preference on using a more physical, dirty, and ground inclined way of playing. Nevertheless, they had improved a lot on their aerial game lately.

"My chassis!" The old Fireback complains, letting everyone know how rusty he is.

"What happened, old timer? Are you ready for retirement yet?" Octane teases him.

"What did you say?! Come here!" He chases him all around the field.

While Hog, Fireback and Octane display their first plays in decades, TK and Delo talk on a side of the field.

"Let's see, boy. Do you remember anything from this sport?"

"Not much, really. I have some loose ideas, but I can't quite remember how to play very well… Maybe someone else should replace me," says a sad Takumi.

"Don't even think about it! Haven't you heard what Hog said? You're a hero, kid. Your goal gave you the victory. Sorry, gave us the victory (he corrects himself) in that Final. And you were a mere beginner. No one can deny the raw talent that resides inside you.

"Three versus three, c'mon. Three versus three" Octane gathers Dev, Zippy and Gizmo to challenge them to a match. Venom isn't bothered about being left out. He even feels relieved. They don't know what they have coming. "Mercy!" Venom screams in a fit of laughter. Delo keeps on instructing TK.

"It's simple. See that ball? You just have to shoot it into the opposing goal. That's all. If the rival tries to do that on your goal, you block them at all costs. Ok? The field has transparent walls and ceiling, that way the ball can't get out of it. And one more thing: in the floor there are boost charges. You can pick them up and use your boost, then you will gain a lot of speed and even aim upwards and fly. Are you following me?" TK spews a shy "yes…"

Hog and Gizmo speed towards the ball on the first kick-off. The truck gets there first and the ball is shot to the side. Octane quickly gets to the ball and hits it once more. The ball is now on the wall at a considerable height. Fireback lashes through the wall, touches the ball and propels it towards the net. In the ball's path, he leans in the air while using his boost, and barely changes the trajectory of the ball, confusing the goalkeeper, Dev. Amazing goal. "Umm..." Dev is left speechless. "Did you see that?" says Gizmo. "From these beasts we've learned"

"Old-timer you said?" Fireback whispers to Octane on his way back to his side. Hog, as always, laughs.

Second kick-off. This time it's turn for Zip and Octane to go for it. Surprisingly, Zip wins the possession. The ball elevates a bit and Gizmo hurries up to hit it. He performs a solid shot with his hood and the ball is directed towards the left top corner of the goal. Hog barely touches it, saving it in a very incredible way, but the ball hits the post and stays bouncing in the scoring line. Dev simply pushes it while Fireback unsuccessfully tries to block it. Octane is left astounded. "Amazing! Very good, very good. You are in great shape, Fireworks!"

"TK, wanna play?" asks Fireback. "You'll do fine, come on."

TK accelerates and jumps into the game. After the third kick-off, he tries to hit the ball and blatantly misses. Frustrated, he turns around and chases it, but the ball is not there anymore. He gets confused, but he locates the ball again. Gizmo and Hog are fighting for the possession in the side. TK goes that way at full speed. "TK, don't go!" Octane advices him. "Wait until one gets the ball!" TK hears him and accepts the advice. The ball is pinch-shooted upwards. "Now!" Octane yells, and the Takumi furiously accelerates. But nothing goes as planned: X-Devil also goes towards the ball, and after hitting it, he crashes directly into TK's front, who is sent flying, hits the wall, and falls perfectly in Gizmo's trajectory, who also crashes into him. In the goal, Fireback welcomes the flying Takumi with yet another accidental hit. The match is halted, and everyone approaches concerned.

"What a crash…" Delo quickly arrives. Hog softly bumps into the lying and unconscious car, but he doesn't respond. "He's okay, it's just the hit. Give him some time" V patiently explains the situation to Zippy.

TK slowly starts to wake up. "What happened?" "Just a hit, buddy. A very peculiar play," Octane calms him.

"I see upside down! I see upside down!" yells a desperate Takumi.

"Umm… You are actually upside down, partner" Delo says while the others laugh.

"Oh… Sorry…" he jumps and flips in the air to recover his balance. "Why are you looking at me like that? And who is him?!" He looks at Zippy very confused.

"Tell me, TK… Who holds the record for the most saves ever in Rocket League?" asks the Road Hog.

"Well, you of course"

"There he is agaaaaaain!" Octane rejoices and everyone celebrates the return of TK's memory.

"What happened? You couldn't do it without me? The scrap metal of Fireback couldn't fill in my shoes?" jokes a different TK that shows the hyperactive side of a rookie player.

"Shut up, kid. I liked him better when he didn't remember a thing"

"Show them what you got, TK" encourages an impatient Venom.

The elegant sports car elevates the ball and dominates it through the air spinning repeatedly. He flies through almost the entire Beckwith and crosses the goal line with the ball still in control.

"That's right. It's hard to admit, but his model is far more agile than mine" says Octane jealously but proud about his teammate's abilities.

"And exaggeratedly more than mine," says Hog.

"But no one can surpass the potato of Merc in terms of gracelessness" Everyone bursts off laughing. Fireback is glad that his joke succeeded.

In the other side of the field, TK is befriending the ball once again.


	5. Chapter 5: Brothers

**Chapter 5: Brothers**

In the distance, Masamune observes quietly and cautious. His advanced and silent engine helps him to go unnoticed. He hides behind some bushes at the outskirts of Beckwith Park. "I still can't believe it. I have to go back to tell the news," he thinks. Years before the Great Disappearance, his team was looking to become the future champions. They could never persuade Esper to keep competing. Not without his brother. Not without a motive that's beyond the circumstances. The four cars were so close to each other that they decided to retire to support Esper's decision. After some years, the comeback looked so close. So close until the Titans vanished completely from existence. Because of obvious reasons, they never returned. They didn't want more pain, more death, more sadness.

Masamune begins the trip towards the stadium that took them in for decades: Neo Tokyo. Without its usual shininess, today, with the lights out, it looks to be at the edge of abandonment. True Brothers use it as a training court and that's all. Not even a friendly match.

Psyonix is a very young and little planet. Between all the stadiums and practice fields, wide streets shape the city. Every once in a while, a workshop that offers painting and parts is seen. Almost the totality of the population is filled by the Scarabs. When the unique models drive through the streets, they're treated as celebrities or feared out of respect. Masamune chooses to go through less lighted and crowded places.

When he arrives, he goes through the door that leads to the corridors and enters deeper into the darkness. After going through some places, he arrives to the garage.

"Esper, Shock. You wouldn't imagine the news I'm bringing." He starts to tell them, full of excitement, when Aftershock interrupts him.

"Wait a second. I should call Max. Hey, Max! Max!" Marauder enters and the four cars meet up. "Ok, ok. What's going on?"

"As I was saying, I think the moment has come, guys…"

"What do you mean?" asks Max.

"The moment!" The other three cars look at him confused and without expression. "The moment to rise from the ashes! The comeback!"

"I don't know, Mune. Things are still pretty dangerous. Sharks are still in power. "What happened for you to tell us this?" asks Esper.

"Remember the Titans? They're back! I just saw them with Fireworks in the Beckwith!"

"What? That's impossible. Everyone know what happened," replies Aftershock.

"What were you doing in Beckwith Park?" asks Marauder, the most robust and decided car of the four.

"Long story… I went to see Zippy and Venom's match in Mannfield. Unbelievable that they have lost with two Scarabs. Never mind, when the match was over I thought I saw a couple of police cars entering through the side of the stadium. I knew it had to be something related to Fireworks, so I supposed I could find them on Beckwith. And then? Boom! Titans." He waits eagerly for an answer which doesn't come. "Come on guys, you have to believe me!"

The three remaining cars think for a little time, elaborating an answer. "Let's suppose it's true," says Shock. "Let's suppose that because of a weird reason, you saw them. Why would it be a good reason to come back?"

"Are you kidding me? The Titans are the worst nightmare of the Sharks! They are the only ones who can take them off the power. If we come back now, all attention would be on them. Besides, it would leave many people out of their minds. Come on, guys! I know we didn't play for a long time, not even a friendly match, but time has come. We are incredibly talented models. Latest technology, agile, futuristic. We can do this." Masamune gets sad. "I don't want to keep hiding… I can't take it anymore." He goes toward Esper and talks specifically to him. "Brother, please. I believe in you. You can do it. We are all with you. It will be fine."

"Let me think it over, ok?" Esper leaves the garage and enters the arena. For the first time in years, they see him working on some movements with the ball.

Without saying a thing, Max, Shock and Masamune approach him. Slowly, they start to turn the lights on. The stadium begins to come to life with its imposing facade. Esper continues practicing with the ball, very focused. The arena has its sides lifted up, so it looks like an empty pool or bathtub. Esper climbs to one of the sides, lifts the ball with a soft hit, and shoots towards the goal. "I still got it," he thinks. When the ball is on the verge of going in, Aftershock enters driving backwards and saves that shot, mocking his friend.

"Why don't we teach them?" Marauder approaches Esper from behind with a tempting offer. He is about to say no, but Masamune, upside down, starts to move his wheels in a provocative way.

"Ah, let's slaughter them!" responds Esper.


	6. Chapter 6: The Other Side

**Chapter 6: The Other Side**

After they finish practicing, Ripper and Grog get out the sandy field of Wasteland and reunite with his teammates.

"Did you see how I destroyed him? He was begging for mercy…"

"Ah, don't be cocky, Grog. Most times you are the one crying like a little girl," says a defiant Dominus. Grog, for respect, doesn't answer him rudely.

"Yeah, right…"

"Merc! Come here. The World Cup is about to start and we didn't prepare anything. Anything!"

"Easy, Dom. The teams are lame as always. A couple of Scarabs, Fireworks, what else? The police's team is going to show up this time?" asks Merc.

"Of course, but they are no threat at all. Besides, we've got them bought. What really does bother me is the fact that Breakout is playing for the Scarabs this year. For the first time in centuries the Scarabs share team with another model.

"And what's the problem, Dom?" asks Ripper.

"Problem is I don't want more surprises like that. It's been a hundred years since the last World Cup. Bribing or not, I don't want to take the risk of losing everything. Power must stay on our side."

The four ruthless members of the Sharks (plus the traitor, Paladin) are in the top of Psyonix since they won the 2200 year World Cup: the first one being played on the planet. Since then, everyone fear the same thing that happened to the Titans. Winning a tournament to the Sharks is almost a death sentence. However, it was done a couple of times. Especially when Delo wasn't retired and was leading Fireworks from the inside, with his brilliant experience. He wasn't scared.

"I wouldn't worry. The only team that have won against us some times was Fireworks. But now that DeLorean is more rusty than alive, they are a herd of incompetent rookies. Maybe next World Cup they will be better. But now? No way…" Merc buries Delo's team with his statement and leaves no doubt about their odds.

"Even so, I want perfection. I demand perfection. Practice starts again in a few hours." Dom imposes his severe leadership.

Paladin humbly approaches and raises his voice: "Sorry to interrupt but the boss is calling you. Now." The five cars, fearful, go into the corridors of Wasteland begging not to have bad news.


	7. Chapter 7: The Decision

**Chapter 7: The Decision**

"What do you say, Hog?" Delo pushes him to a side of the field and expresses his concern about the upcoming World Cup. The big truck thinks for a couple seconds, doubting…

"Do you really think we are in conditions? I mean, we've been inactive so many years."

"Let's try something. Why don't we play one game? Best of three goals. If you are indeed in conditions, you'll notice. And be sure that we won't make it easy for you."

Hog smiles, thinks it a little bit, and finally accepts. "Guys! Come for a second." TK, Octane and Fireback approach him. "Delo is challenging us. Best of three. What do you say? It could give us an idea if we are ready or not for the World Cup."

"Against them? Sure! How many goals do you want me to score?"

"Easy, TK… Let's do it," Fireback decides.

The Titans approach to the middle of the court. Fireworks waits in the other side. Gizmo, Venom, X-Devil and Zippy. The classic DeLorean stands in the middle of them and begins to explain the basics.

"You know it. Best of three goals or five minutes. Don't play dirty, enjoy and remember that we are here to train together, ok?" All the cars go to their initial positions and the ball emerges in the center of the Beckwith. Three. Two. One. And the game begins. Delo, outside the field, contemplates it all with an unexplainable quietness. Above all, he enjoys it. Seeing his team (without him) playing against the Titans for the first time is a huge excitement. He sees all of it. 1-0 for the Titans, and then comes the second one. His team scores their first goal within a minute left to play but Takumi seals the deal in the lasts seconds. They are definitely able to play. They didn't lose the touch.

"Hey, Octane, how did you score the second goal? I thought that was impossible! Would you teach me?" asks and overexcited Zippy.

Fireback congratulates his team and goes towards Delo. "You can't do this anymore, Mr. Fossil?

"That's all you got, greybeard? I thought there was more," provokes the DeLorean.

"Oh, yeah? Why don't you teach me, then?"

The rest of the cars feel what's coming up next and desire it with all their strength. They approach the two old cars and eagerly wait.

"Duel." The DeLorean pronounces just that word and everyone goes insane, jumping and celebrating out of the emotion.

"No, no, no, guys… I'm gonna have to ruin the party. This is between Fireback and me. I want you to go to the workshop and leave us the field, please. "

"Oh, come on, Delo. Let us stay," insists Gizmo.

"Yeah, come on," TK seconds him.

"Not this time. Next one, for sure. Fireback will tell you how I crushed him, later." The Backfire sighs.

"Come on. If that what they want we have to respect them." A respectful Hog drags the cars to the outskirts.

"Thanks, Hog. And remember: the Sharks don't know you are here, yet. Absolute discretion if you want to roam the city," says Delo.

"I got it," Dev promises him.

The cars exit through the open goal and go to the tunnels. However, Zippy dares to stay behind to spy the duel. He hides behind some distant bushes and sees through a little gap. Fireback and Delo place in front of each other in their respective goals. Zippy can't hear them but he knows they are talking. It is night and some soft lights illuminate the field. In the background, the sound of the wind. Nothing else. Suddenly, both of them accelerate towards the ball and the duel begins. In the Rocket League world, a duel was always the greatest proof of honor and worth. Losing it meant humiliation, shame and inferiority. Winning the duel, however, was a huge demonstration of skill and bravery. Especially in a tournament. Not to mention a World Cup. The World Cup only witnessed three duels in its history.

Zippy is lucky enough to see the best duel of his life. From beginning to end, he stays still and surprised before the equal level of skills of both cars. The match is so close that four minutes of extra time are added before the winning goal. When it's finished, he can't believe it. He would have bet all he had to the one that lost. Too bad that he will never be able to talk about what he saw.


	8. Chapter 8: Enrollments

**Chapter 8: Enrollments**

"Good morning, Psyonix! How nice is to have you back here in a brand new transmission of Rocket League! I'm Buzz and with me the captivating, the unreachable, the one and only… Poncho!"

"How are you, Buzz? Such a long wait but the day has finally come. Enrollments day! What teams will we have this year for the World Cup? Can they beat the Sharks? It is true that a unique model will be playing with our Scarab people? That and more, fellows."

"That's right, Psyonix. We are here in the stunning Mannfield. In a few moments we will reveal the teams that signed up for the competition. Can I tell you the truth? I'm very nervous and excited. This happens once every hundred years, Poncho. A hundred years! We remind to the rookies that the team who wins this World Cup instantly assumes the power of the Government, replacing the previous one."

"And not just that: they will reign Psyonix over the next century. Without a doubt, Buzz, a historical day. So excited to be here…"

"Without further ado, let's talk to our partner in the field of the stadium where the Opening Ceremony will take part in a few minutes. Welcome, Yuri! How are things over there?"

"Buzz, Poncho. I'm honored to share this transmission with both of you. Let me salute you Psyonix and tell you with total conviction that this party will be amazing. And according to numerous sources, there will be six or more teams signed up." The sportscasters laugh nervously. "That's right. Let me remind the viewers that in the first World Cup played on this planet, only four teams signed up and the Sharks took the crown by destroying Fireworks 5-0 in the Finale."

"Big disappointment for all…" says Buzz. Yuri goes on.

"Just in a few minutes the ceremony will start and we are going to live it moment by moment. Which teams will show up? Stay tuned to find out."

"Let's see the beginning of the ceremony. Psyonix, enjoy."

The screens now show the field of the stadium but without Yuri. It shows the Mannfield glowing with fireworks, trumpets and screams from the Scarab crowd. Four cars enter the field with royal robes and crowns on top of them. Of course everybody knows who they are. The Sand Sharks. Dominus accelerates ahead of the others to reach a microphone.

"It's my honor and pleasure to welcome you to the honorable second edition of the Rocket League World Cup!" The crowd explodes and Grog looks his teammates with encouragement. "We, the Sand Sharks, current champions and actual kings of this planet, open this ceremony and let the presentation of the teams begin."

After that, the show begins. And later, a video showing the highlights of the last World Cup is shown in the stadium. The audience enjoys every second of the party. Some minutes later, the crowd starts to calm down and the team presentations are announced by the sportscasters.

"We're back here with Poncho to announce the most expected news since a great period of time. Are you ready, Psyonix? Let's get to it!"

"To start, let's go with the obvious team. Scarab people: last undefeated champions, actual kings of Psyonix, the relentless, powerful and fearsome… Sand Sharks!" The crowd agitates with mixed feelings.

"Unbelievable, Poncho. And now, let's go with the rest of the teams." After some seconds of silence which seem to be eternal, Buzz proceeds. "Formed in the humblest section of the planet, the population itself, hungry for making history and with a faith that oversteps the car models, we present to you… Round Hope!" Jumping and making some flips, four Scarabs enter the field. One of them seems to stop and wave the public with one of his extremities. The crowd loves them.

"Moving on! And now… the team which keeps Psyonix safe and away from all evil. With their unique and unmistakable design, created to protect and serve. Here you got… Ion Blue!" Some cheer them up, but others are shown emotionless before the police's team. Four Batmobiles enter with their particular sirens and strict organization that characterize them. Without jumping or making fancy stuff, they approach the center of the field to remain next to Round Hope.

"Okay. So we have the first three teams!"

"For this fourth presentation, just a declaration."

"What a rhyme, Poncho!"

"What you are about to witness is more than historical. For the first time in history, a non-Scarab model is going to share team with them." The audience can't believe it and celebrates as if they can now win the tournament. "Let's get ready to receive… New Era!" Three Scarabs enter the Mannfield and leave the other model for later. It's a Breakout. The unique model enters happily and clarifies to Yuri, who is close to him, the great feeling of representing a whole city.

"Amazing, Psyonix! I told you were going to be surprised today."

"There are three teams remaining and I guarantee you that the last two are completely mysterious. They didn't even tell us who they are. So the surprise is going to be for all of us, for sure," explains Buzz.

"I now want you to welcome with great support the team who was very close to conquer the last World Cup. You know who they are. Many say that they have improved a lot and they are in incredible shape nowadays. I believe it. Let's receive… Fireworks!" Dev and Gizmo lead the way. Behind them, Venom and Zippy.

"Wow! Look how many cars, V." Zippy is playing his first World Cup.

The four cars stand next to New Era and manage to see Delo in one of the stands.

"Such a great team, Poncho. I think they are going to give us many joys this time."

"I'm sure of that, Buzz. What next?"

"Well, I don't really know… I guess we are going to live it second by second. Just as you, Psyonix. Okay, they tell me that the upcoming teams didn't want to reveal anything for today. Let's begin. I'm so nervous…"

"The suspense is strong, Buzz. Let's see… This team promised that their return would be fierce."

"Return?"

"With a big wound that made them stronger and closer, strengthening their friendship and forcing them to mature really fast…"

"Don't tell me that-"

"Scarab People…"

"No…"

"Trueeee Brotheeeers!"

"Noooo! Unbelievable!"

The crowd, again, loses control and the noise is unbearable. Piercing the artificial fog, Max and Esper enter the court, the last one proving he's ready. Then, Masamune and Aftershock. The members of Fireworks discuss between them the implications of this, causing the other teams to alter. Masamune, faithful to his style, makes a backflip and the seriousness of the situation vanishes. Marauder, however, looks at Grog with hate, who is far away observing the ceremony.

"This is too much, Poncho… And you tell me that I have to introduce the next one? What else can surprise us after True Brother's comeback?"

"I don't know, Buzz. I don't know…"

"Let's get to it, then… So many feelings… The next and last team says to be the pillar who founded the essence of Rocket League." Buzz and Poncho look at each other worried without saying it to the audience. "They say the whole world will shake out of surprise. That Psyonix will explode in a revolution after this announcement." Poncho realizes it. "Scarab People, teams…" Buzz don't shout the name like the others. Instead, a shy sound, almost a whisper, comes out of him. "Titans…"

The stadium doesn't explode. It mutes. No one makes any sound. Not even of surprise. The Titans enter side by side remarking their unity. For the first time in all of Mannfield's history, only the engines of the four cars can be heard. When they stand next to Fireworks, which pretend to be a little surprised, they remain calm and quiet. The seriousness of their entering was stunning. Hog fix his look on the Sharks. Fireback looks directly to Dom, who can't hide his anger and surprise and starts to get very nervous. All of a sudden, he jumps from his place and, with and overwhelming attitude, goes directly to the microphone.

"The ceremony is concluded. Best of luck for all teams…"

The Sharks exit first, quickly, and the rest of the teams approach the Titans with curiosity and admiration. Fireback looks at his team and the members of Fireworks: "It has begun".


	9. Chapter 9: The Revelation

**Chapter 9: The Revelation**

"How could this happen!? Somebody explain it to me right now!"

"I don't know, boss. I don't know what happened."

"You don't know what happened, Dom!? You were supposed to take care of it!" The Sharks' boss starts to roam around them, thinking and intimidating his subjects. For a few seconds, no one makes a sound. The fear that the boss imposes is terrifying. And they had witnessed his cruelty. Wanting to rebel against him many years ago, a Merc model was brutally demolished in front of everyone. They learned the lesson: never disobey the boss. Delo and Fireback are the only ones aware of their situation. On one hand, they feel sorry for them, almost enslaved. On the other hand, they had plenty of opportunities to make the right thing and they didn't take the chance. Delo concluded that they were naturally evil, but in comparison to their boss, they didn't seem that bad.

The chief stops in front of Ripper. He looks at him some seconds and manages to make him uncomfortable: "Sorry…"

"Sorry…? Can you tell me what happened, Ripper? I thought you were in charge of looking up for the other teams."

"I take full responsibility. I'm sorry. I thought True Brothers was the big surprise."

"If we knew on time, we could have banned them from the competition in some way."

"With all due respect, boss, I don't think it's our fault." Grog bravely takes a step forward for his teammates.

"And why is that?"

"No one could ever thought the Titans were going to reappear. What happened with their hiding place? The secret was supposed to be unbreakable. What just happened represents the 1% of the chances." Grog makes his boss to reconsider it.

"Hmm, could be right… Even so, we shouldn't have let our guards down. You know what they stand for. I don't know in what shape they are, but the records are not in our side. They are the only team that can beat us. We must stay in power."

"Chief. I have an idea." Dom takes his leadership back and stands in front of everyone. "This is what we're gonna do if things go wrong." The cars listen very carefully and they gradually come to the conclusion that the plan is perfect.

"Dom… You are a freaking genius. Let's stick to that plan, then. Got it? If those (he changes his voice to imitate the Scarab people) 'great cars' cross the line, we will teach them who really is in charge of this."


	10. Chapter 10: Prelude

**Chapter 10: Prelude**

"Good luck, guys. I know you will give us some thrills," says Hog to Fireworks minutes before leaving to their respective home stadiums: Fireworks to the Coliseum, Titans to the DFH.

"Who will you be playing against?" asks Octane.

"They have just told us. Against the cops," responds Venom.

"Ion Blue, right?"

"Yeah, those ones. It seems they are good, but we can do it."

"You'll be fine, boys. This jalopy (looks at Delo) has trained you really well," Fireback comments.

"What about you?" asks Zippy.

"I think we'll be playing against one of the Scarabs team. Round Hope or New Era. We don't know."

"Well… At the end of the journey we will be celebrating, won't we?" cheers Delo.

"Yeah! Titanworks!" yells the Takumi.

"What?" Everyone asks.

"Titanworks. Titans… Fireworks…"

Everyone stares at him silently for a few seconds before exploding in laughter after the awful joke that TK released. Some of them crash him softly to punish him while he demands to be left alone, although without getting angry.

"Let's go before TK comes out with another one," says Dev, happily.

The cars split up. Five to one side, leaded by Delo. Four to the other side. They begin the trip to their stadiums. While they are travelling, Venom explains to his friend Zippy some of the World Cup's details.

"Quarter Finals. In some minutes we are going to play a three-matches series against Ion Blue. It's simple. The team who wins two games advances to the Semifinal."

"Is every match going to take place in our stadium?"

"No, no. For the first one, yes, in our Coliseum. But the second one is in their stadium: Urban Central. The last one, if necessary, again in our place. One more thing… Here in the World Cup the matches last five minutes, no matter the goals. Scoring three goals doesn't imply winning. There were matches with more than ten goals! Record is 12-10, in the human era. The two teams that played that match are no longer around, lamentably."

"And how do the duels work, V?"

"If after the first two matches there is not a winning team, the third one can be defined by duel. Both teams have to agree. It only can happen in instances which are not the Final."

"Oh, ok…. I'm a little nervous, V".

"Don't worry. You will be ok, Zip. You have proved to be ready for the occasion, pal. I couldn't have a better teammate."

"Thanks, my friend. For everything. Let's do it, then. Let's show them what we're made of."

"Zip? Time to destroy."

Far from there, the Titans almost arrive to their stadium. The DFH has collapsed with spectators in the last minutes. When the Scarabs found out about the epic Titans comeback, they ran as soon as possible to the stadium to see them. The Mannfield was emptied in a matter of seconds."

"Hey, guys? How is it possible that our stadium is enabled? And existing…?" asks Octane, confused. Fireback answers him.

"Delo told me that all the stadiums from the human era were rebuilt. No matter if the local teams were still here or not. It was also made as a tribute. As the World Cup organizers knew about our presence, they put our stadium in conditions at galactic speeds and with a lot of discretion. Look how beautiful it is." The DFH looks imposing. Full of spectators, lights and music, the Titans feel at home again. They enter the building and go to the workshop, where various Scarabs assist them with maintenance issues. Minutes pass by and the stadium's speaker announces the teams' arrival. Round Hope and Titans.

"Ready, guys?" asks the deteriorated Fireback. "It will probably be my last World Cup… I think you have already noticed. I can't keep this pace for much longer." Hog approaches him slowly.

"What you have done for us, dear Fireback… can't be ever be compensated. Thank you for creating this team, for being patient with us, for choosing us."

"You are welcome, Hog. It's my honor to be part of this family. And I'm sure you will honor the name of the Titans for many, many years."

"That's right, coach," says TK.

"Oh, don't say that yet." Fireback replies.

"You better start getting used to that title… coach." Octane laughs and spreads his joy to the rest. The team is in a great mood and prepares to dispute their first World Cup match in Psyonix.

On the other side of the town, the fancy Coliseum is chock full of faithful fans of Fireworks. Delo finishes his motivational speech and the team enters the field. In front of them, Ion Blue awaits formally. They present the teams' lineups and prepare to begin. Seconds before starting, in their initial positions, Venom looks at Zippy with an approval gesture. They can do it. Gizmo seconds that look and Dev moves his wheels to cheer their partners. With perfect synchronization, the Coliseum and the DFH begin the countdown. Three. Two. One. And the World Cup begins.


	11. Chapter 11: Quarter Finals

**Chapter 11: Quarter Finals**

The first round passed by without any surprise and with the expected results. Titans crushed Round Hope in two matches to none and sent the first Scarab team back home. Fireworks had some complications in Urban Central on the second match, and almost lost the series, but they managed to recover and won two matches to one. And in the last series, True Brothers against New Era, Breakout was very close to achieving the miracle but it couldn't be. It finished 2-1 for True Brothers.

"What an awesome journey we had today in this first day of the World Cup, gentlemen. We could finally saw the teams in action!"

"And such good games, Buzz. We were expecting easy wins by the important teams but that happened only in the Titans' series. What an improvement from the Scarab teams since last World Cup. I don't know if I should congratulate the coaches, Breakout or the mechanics but the performance showed by these cars was truly a lot better."

"Now we bring you the highlights of the Quarter Finals, which left us with big games and only four teams to fight for the Championship. Poncho?"

"Let's start! We are going to begin with Titans – Round Hope. The first match was played in the DFH Stadium, which was tremendously full. It was 3-0 for the local team with goals scored by Takumi, Road Hog and Backfire. Nice debut in the return of these giants. Round Hope couldn't do much before the avalanche of experience that was poured on them. The second match, however, was very even. The Titans appeared to be more relaxed and confident and Round Hope went for it. In their local arena, Octagon, Hope put everything in the table and kept his goal undefeated for five minutes, forcing the overtime by tying in zero. A minute later, Takumi got tired and after a sublime centered ball by Octane, placed the ball in one of the top corners. Series finished.

"Second series, Poncho. Fireworks or True Brothers?"

"Let's go with True Brothers. Let me clear something up about this team. I don't know what is happening on the stands, but the city is totally in love with these guys. I don't know if it's because of their futurist and extravagant design, or because of the terrible history of the Esper brothers. But one thing is true: the public took a lot of affection for the team. Anyway, Neo Tokyo shined in the first match and everyone witnessed a stunning 5-0. Three from Aftershock, one from Esper and one from Masamune to sentence it all. When the match was finished, they had already captivated all town. And in the second encounter, New Era, in Cosmic arena, took the lead with an amazing goal from Breakout just 30 seconds from the start and the whole team stood in defense the rest of the game to maintain their goal unbeaten. And they succeed. However, in the last match, they didn't find their way and they got very nervous, provoking various mistakes which finished in goals. 3-1 for True Brothers, with 3 from Marauder who played brilliantly, and series sentenced. One of the Scarabs discounted for New Era (and celebrated like as it was the championship goal) but that was all.

"Great last two matches for Breakout, despite the loss. Both Scarab teams go home early but leave some rays of hope for the future of this sport."

"Very true, Buzz. I believe great things await for these Scarab players."

"Now Fireworks?"

"Now Fireworks. To everyone's surprise, the cops' team had a brilliant start. They took the first match by winning 2-0 and put great pressure on Delo's team. The agility on these Batmobiles was outstanding, Buzz. Very solid on aerial shots and some great epic saves… For the second match, Ion Blue was winning by one goal in the last minute and in the brink of advancing to the Semifinals and eliminating their rivals. But after a masterful play from Venom, X-Devil bewildered the defense with a fake-off in the last meters and pushed the ball to an empty goal. Extra Time. After two minutes, Gizmo hit the ball almost accidentally on the middle of the field, and with huge luck, it hit the upper part of the goal, the top of one Batmobile and went in. They couldn't believe it. Series tied. And I don't know that Delo told his team before the third match, because Fireworks played with brutal attitude and devoured their rivals. 4-0. Two from Zippy, one from Venom and one from X-Devil. The rookie, Zippy, was lifted by his teammates at the end of the match and was taken out the field like a hero."

"What a fright, Poncho! The team who was finalist in the last World Cup almost was eliminated. We know that they can't count on the DeLorean anymore but they are still pretty good."

"It's time…"

"The time has come, people. The Semifinals draw. We remind to you that the teams still participating are True Brothers, Fireworks, Titans and Sand Sharks."

"Let's look at the screen, Buzz."

On the screen appears a picture with the Quarter Finals, the Semifinals and the Final. In red, the teams who were eliminated. In green, those who are still competing. The names of the four remaining teams start to change randomly in four squares and a countdown comes in. When it reaches cero, the series are decided. True Brothers against the Titans. And Fireworks…


	12. Chapter 12: Fearless

**Chapter 12: Fearless**

When the results are shown, the nine cars are all together in the Beckwith, celebrating their respective victories. The friendship between Titans and Fireworks is now well consolidated. Seconds after the announcement, Delo finally breaks the ice: "Well, guys… let's give our best. I know that nobody wanted to face them but we were going to, sooner or later. Then again, I think it's better to do it in the Semis than in the Final. You can do it, come on! I believe in you, boys."

"Delo is right. It's better now than in the Final. Also, you have faced them in the last World Cup so you can learn from that," says Hog. Octane keeps on:

"And we can go to see you! The Semifinals are not at the same time so we are going to be there supporting you."

Venom thanks him and adds: "Do you think we can practice with some matches? You could help us correct some mistakes and prepare a couple of plays."

"Of course, V," Backfire supports him. "I think I have an idea. Let's split up! Gizmo, Venom: with me and Hog. TK and Octane will be playing with Zip and Dev. Delo will instruct us also from the inside, but will not be playing for any of the teams. To your positions, come on!"

From the other side of the town, the Sharks do the same thing in Wasteland. They practice some moves for the next day's match. They play a two versus two match and Paladin plays occasionally replacing one of his teammates. Finally, Merc and Dom come out victorious. In the whole Rocket League universe, Merc was always considered the less agile car. However, he always used his corpulence very well to win the possession and cover the goal more accurately. Grog is in a similar category, but in a lower scale. And the third of the "giant cars" is the Road Hog. Those three cars are placed in the "big cars" tier.

Ultimately, True Brothers rests at Neo Tokyo for the big game. With dim light, they chat and enjoy of a feeling that they haven't embraced in a while: playing and winning a Rocket League game. In the workshop, being assisted by a couple of Scarabs, the atmosphere is warm and encouraging.

"I want to admit in front of everybody that one of us, this evening, played… spectacularly." Everyone looks at Mune with great expectation.

"Are you going to complete the sentence someday, Mune?" asks Shock.

"The car that played spectacularly… was me." And he moves his wheels frantically.

"Always humble, Mune. Aren't you?" Max rebukes him.

"Just saying…"

"I imagine you will shine and score five goals against the Titans," provokes ironically Esper.

"Six…"

"I'll take your word."

In the middle of laughs and a quiet sunset, Max finally is brave enough to make the question that everyone wants to ask: "How did you feel, Esper?" Everyone looks at him.

"It was… odd. In one hand I felt so much anger because of the memories. But on the other hand, I felt relaxed because you were there. I wasn't alone and now I'm sure I'll never be. I don't know if we can win against the Titans, but one thing is certain: the Sharks have to fall! We will put our hope in every team who has the chance to beat them. Even if that team isn't us. If it's us, good. We will use everything in our power to make them lose. If it's the Titans, then we will trust in their experience." He pauses for some seconds. "And if Fireworks beats them, we will celebrate like we never did and we will all go to the fanciest workshop and change those horrible wheels that Max has."

"Hey!" The Marauder complains. The other ones laugh.

"I'm glad to see you in a good mood, Esper. We will do fine. I know…" Mune cheers him up.

The four teams practice and rest for the Semifinals. The humans programmed the cars to sleep, so they need to rest for a couple of hours at least to recover some energy and maintain their circuits in optimum state. The humans wanted their creations to be more like them.

The night arrives and all that's left is the silence before the storm.


	13. Chapter 13: First Semifinal

**Chapter 13: First Semifinal**

It's dawn and the sun dimly lights the DFH when Octane enters searching for his teammates. Hog and Delo are practicing and talking about various things.

"Good morning, guys." Octane gathers the strength to salute. They respond to him and continue their chat. But Hog realizes something's missing: "Is TK still sleeping?"

"I'll go wake him up," responds the recently awoken car. The other cars return to their business.

"The Sharks have been very quiet, Delo. I don't like this."

"I know, Hog. I think they are up to something. And something not good, I guess. They always brag about how they are going to beat their rivals and things like that. But now? Nothing."

"I guess we'll have to wait. I hope we're wrong."

Far away, a grumpy TK shows up with Octane and they salute them. In a few minutes they have to go to Neo Tokyo.

When they are ready, they leave to the stadium. In the road, they transit important and crowded places. They need the town's support this time. With Titans in the head of the convoy and Fireworks in the back, the crowd of spectators go crazy when the cameras show them entering the stadium.

"Big match today, Poncho. Who would have thought that we were going to see these two teams facing each other? I never did."

"As you say, Buzz. There are great expectations in the crowd to see the game that reunites two fantastical teams. What is going to happen in the end? Stay here, because in just a few minutes, the first encounter will begin."

Aftershock says a few inspiring words and the team is about to go out.

"I'm so nervous!" Masamune confesses.

"Yeah, but what a beautiful feeling. I've missed this, guys," says Marauder. "Let's have fun, shall we?"

"Let's do it." Esper says the final words and the four cars leave the garage to enter the field.

The Neo Tokyo overflows with cars and noise. When True Brothers enter, the noise duplicates. Now it's deafening. Titans, already on the middle of the field, see them approach and cheer up because of their rivals' comeback. Backfire goes to their side.

"It's an honor having you again with us, True Brothers. You are great players and the future of this sport. You knew that, right? Thanks for being courageous and returning to competitive tournaments."

"Thank you, Fireback. We had rough years, but here we are. And nothing could have been possible without your return, too. You… you are the essence of Rocket League," concedes Max, proudly.

In the tribunes, Fireworks can see the anxious and happy crowd awaiting for the game.

Zippy looks at Venom, confused: "Hey V. Is it me or Takumi is almost identical to Masamune?" Venom laughs and explains to him. "You are right, Zip. Mune was made after TK and based on his model. Let's say it's an improved version of TK. Masamune was made with the same sporty and elegant design but with a few light changes and a different front chassis."

"Oh, TK is not going to like this."

"Silence! It's about to start!" Dev interrupts them, impatiently, and then apologizes for being so abrupt. The five Fireworks cars join to the countdown and the game begins.

Aftershock and Octane go for the kickoff and the ball is shot to one of the sides. The field has the shape of a bathtub (the sides are in a higher level than the center) so nobody can know exactly where will the ball go after hitting the ramps that unite the sides with the center of the field. After hitting the ramp, TK loses the trajectory of the ball and misses it. Behind him, Hog shows up to hit the ball and sends it to the goal. Marauder blocks it, near to the goal, and it goes to the center again but not with much strength. Esper goes for it and dominates the ball. He turns on his boost to accelerate violently. Fireback tries to block him but misses, surprisingly. Esper passes it to his left and Mune suddenly appears there like a locomotive to insert the ball in the top right corner. Goal. True Brothers rapidly take the lead and the fans celebrate it.

"As you can see, it is very difficult to adapt to this court. That dammed field depression should be banned from important competitions," says a frustrated DeLorean. "But don't worry. They will get used to it."

"It's ok, boys. Come on, come on!" Hog cheers up his partners.

The next three minutes pass by with True Brothers' dominance, but the Titans appear to be more and more comfortable with the field as the time goes by. Until the moment they manage to tie the game. Fireback takes the ball in one of the higher sides and centers it. Octane barely touches it and Esper passes by. Hog hits the ball and the shot is so powerful that Aftershock can't contain it when he tries to save it. The ball remains floating in the goal line after Shock touches it and Fireback quickly pushes it in. Fireworks scream "goal!" with the rest of the Titans' fans. 30 seconds remaining. Hog and Max fight for the kickoff. The ball rolls to a side and TK touches it to lift it in the air. Shock can't reach him. Esper and Mune, that had gone to pick up some boost from the sides, return desperately to their goal. Esper goes directly to the ball but TK, intelligently, touches it another time to fool his rival. He is crashed by Esper and he returns to the ground. Mune can't react so fast and rolls to his side in a desperate try to save it. The ball hits the post and slowly crosses the line. Shock makes one last attempt to save it but it's too late. Goal. True Brothers' teammates look at each other trying to understand what just happened. Titans celebrate it in a surprised way. The last 25 seconds pass by and the score remains the same. Titans win the first match of the series. True Brothers' cars salute their rivals in silence, irritated by their mistake and bad luck. Only Max says "good game" and leaves.

"Yes! They did it!" celebrates Zippy.

"I told you they were going to get used to it! These cars are great. What a comeback… Okay, come on! We are getting late to our match. Let's go!" Delo rushes his team to go to the Sharks' stadium. In a few hours they have to play their own Semifinal. Fireback, from the field, sees them leaving in a rush and he remembers that his team has to go too.


	14. Chapter 14: The Other Semifinal

**Chapter 14: The Other Semifinal**

Wasteland. The most feared stadium of all hosts Fireworks in a Semifinal filled with feelings of vengeance. The ground, instead of being made of grass or firm terrain like the rest, is entirely filled with sand, making it extremely difficult to play. Blue and orange torches burn in the exterior sides of the field. The roof always seems to be about to collapse. The grandstands are located a little bit further than in other stadiums to avoid the sand annoying the spectators. Countless murders happened on this court. The public witnessed ruthless demolitions by the local team. Death and terror are felt form goal to goal.

When it's time, the Sharks enter the field. With a confident and peevish attitude, the go to the center of the field to meet Fireworks.

"Fireworks! It's been so long… You sure remember my friends Ripper, Grog and Merc. If you try to cross the line, they will make sure it never happens again." The Dominus talks in a happy, ironic and intimidating way. "And who knows? Maybe you can learn valuable things like in the last Final. Try not to embarrass yourselves this time, okay?"

"We'll see," announces Venom repressing all anger and disgust.

The eight cars go to their positions and the countdown begins. Fireworks have a last second to see the Titans in one of the grandstands. And when they do, their confidence boost to one hundred percent. The rest is history. What happens next remains forever in history books and in the minds of those lucky cars who are there to witness this legendary moment. Fireworks fiercely beat the Sharks 1-0 and shatter their victorious streak of more than 300 years (including the human era) in Wasteland.

Delo's team exits the field and heads to the stadium's workshop, where the Titans wait for them with great joy. When they get there, Takumi announces their arrival.

"Ladies and gentlemen…"

"There are no more ladies and gentleman, TK…" Octane interrupts.

"The ones who broke a streak that lasted centuries. Directed by a decrepit but very agile fossil. (Delo crashes him a little bit) Today they've made history! They rise as heroes and the evil's resistance. Ladies and gentlemen… (Octane sighs) Fireworks!"

The Takumi simulates some fireworks sounds.

The four cars enter jumping and making some flips. Even the Scarab mechanics participate in the playful party. Minutes pass and they start to relax and to think in their respective next games. Both teams are playing their next matches in their home stadiums and they have all the odds in their favor.

After celebrating, they all head to the DFH Stadium, where the Titans host True Brothers to reach a spot in the Final.

"Outstanding picture we have here on the DFH for the second match of the Semis between Titans and Brothers! I'm here with my fellows Poncho and Yuri to cover this game and bring every piece of information instantly to you, Scarab people."

"Good afternoon, Buzz. And what a busy morning we've had. With the epic comeback of the Titans in Neo Tokyo and the amazing surprise of Fireworks in Wasteland, we couldn't ask for anything better for this second edition of Pysonix's World Cup."

"Memorable day, guys." Yuri starts his analysis. "The Sharks started very confident, relaxed, and that totally played against them when they tried to resist the rival's attack. Additionally, they used the same strategies of the last World Cup on them, ignoring all the years and changes on Delo's team, which showed up with a much better defense and a way smarter attack. I have to admit… great work from the DeLorean."

After half an hour of analyzing both morning games, the teams enter the field. They decide to enter together to show up their alliance against the corrupt government. The public cheer them. After the presentation, they go to their sides. Seconds go by and the anxiety rises. The countdown finally arrives and everyone joins in. "Three! Two! One!" And the Titans and True Brothers start the second match of the series.


	15. Chapter 15: Titans vs True Brothers 2

**Chapter 15: Titans vs. True Brothers - Part Two**

"And the match begins, people! True Brothers win the possession in the kickoff and it's already in their rival's side. The ball is directed to the left corner of the Titans' and Octane clears it with a solid shot. Shock flies to intercept the trajectory but TK arrives first. He barely touches the ball, which is now in the center of the field, steady. The big cars go for it. I mean Max and Hog. They are both trying to advance with the ball but they are also blocking each other. What a struggle in the middle of the DFH! No one wants to give up! And finally, the Backfire appears to hit the ball and send it near the goal, but with no strength at all... Esper easily saves it to a side, recovers his balance and hits it again. The ball goes up through the right wall and Octane is rapidly there to take the shot. But he misses! True Brothers have a chance! Three against three! Mune sends it to the corner and the ball bounces and goes to the center, near the goal. Marauder deviates it and the ball bounces above the goal. Backfire passes by at full speed and can't reach it. Only Hog is goalkeeping now. The ball is still floating and Aftershock is going to shoot! He flies, he takes the right position, he shoots…! Nice shot to send the ball to Hog's furthest post. Hog jumps and turns around, pointing his roof to the floor. He boosts himself to go faster… Oh! What a save! The Road Hog grazes the ball near his top right corner to deny True Brothers' goal! Close one, Poncho!"

"Impressive save by Hog, dear Buzz. Great play by True Brothers after a big mistake from Octane. The match is still tied in zero. Four minutes to go."

"Fireback takes the ball and has plenty of time to think. He accelerates. Now with boost. Max goes straightly to intercept him but, oh! What a feint by the Backfire! Marauder is now history and TK receives his teammate's pass to lift the ball. He is now boosting upwards with ball and everything! Outstanding control of the ball! Oh, come on! Now he's flipping in the air still dominating the ball! He stopped spinning now and he's not moving at all. He is just flying behind the ball, motionless. What is he doing? Esper flies directly to the ball. But TK reacts and uses his last portion of boost to deviate the ball in the last second! Esper misses! The ball is bouncing a few meters from the goal! Hog comes in… Goal! What a magnificent goal! What a play from TK!"

"That was delicious…"

"I'm going insane, Poncho! Tremendous play! Feint from Fireback, aerial feint from TK, and a missile to the top corner from Hog! Masamune can't save it and it's 1-0 for the Titans in the half of the game."

"Hog is slowly becoming the car of the match. An epic save and a goal. Look at the crowd. Crazy!"

"The Titans take the lead and everyone returns to their kick off positions… Here goes the countdown and the match continues, fellows! Octane fights the kick off with Esper and wins the possession. The ball rolls a few meters to Brothers' goal and TK is quickly there to pass it aside to Fireback. Now Fireback returns the ball to TK but Shock fiercely blocks their pass and Mune takes the ball away with him. He hits it towards his right wall and the ball goes up through it. He climbs the wall like a spider, softly touches the ball and starts to dominate it in the air."

"He is trying to do the same play than TK."

"It seems you are right, Poncho. And so far, so good. He is flying to the goal like a plane… Aaaand... It hit the post! The ball hit the post while everyone was watching hopeless! And here is the counterattack! The whole Titans team against Max and Aftershock! TK carries the ball. He carefully places the ball in his roof. He approaches the goal… Shock comes out to block him but nice chip shot by TK! Here comes the second one! Max awaits in the goal. TK shoots! Nice save by Max! And now another counterattack! TK's teammates get angry at him because he didn't pass the ball. Hog returns desperately but I think he won't make it! Max crosses the ball all the way to Esper. He just has to touch it and it's in! The ball arrives… Hog is near and he might reach it. He tries to reach it-"

Poncho laughs unexpectedly.

"Oh! Beautiful! Esper brakes and stops the ball to make the Road Hog pass by like a dog when its food time!"

"He just has to push it, now…"

"And… it's there! Goal! Esper enters the goal with a calm pace to tie the game!"

"Incredible game that we are living, dear Buzz. Full of luxury. No one wants to stay behind."

"Third kick off of the game and the big guys go for the win. They crash and the ball gets pinched up a few meters. Mune flies and hits it with great precision. The Backfire says 'no' when it was about to enter in the top center of the goal and saves it. Octane sends it to Brothers' side once again. Marauder responds with a failed attempt and Esper grazes it to correct it. Hog, once more, passes by. Oh boy, he looks frustrated. Marauder goes for the second try and dominates it on the ground. Takumi wants to cut him but Max creates a great give and go with Aftershock! Max got it again. Octane with the block… And he fails! Max imposes his bigness and penetrates right through Octane's defense. Two against one and it can be goal! Max passes it to Aftershock. He hits the ball. It bounces near the post and here he comes again! Aftershock with a flip and a second shot to the farthest post… Good save and even better reflexes by Fireback! Max centers it again to his teammate. But he hits it like a little girl and the ball is rolling now near the goal! Fireback accelerates backwards to save it again! There is Masamune to sentence it… Goal! Mune corrects the failed attempt and pierces the Titans' goal! True Brothers flip the score just with less than a minute to play!"

"What a comeback by the visiting team! The same thing that happened in Neo Tokyo! Max, sweeping rivals with his strength, takes his team to victory. 2-1 now. Can the Titans achieve the tie?"

"I don't know but one thing is sure… Exciting final seconds are coming! The ball flies away after the kick off. Octane now sends it to his rival's left corner. Esper waits for the ball to come down and makes a fabulous pinch shot to send it away. But the ball hits accidentally on Shock, who is unexpectedly there in the wall and the ball is directed to the center of the field. Fireback shoots to the middle of the goal and Max denies it. The ball goes very high and everyone contains themselves from ramming it. It seems they don't want to take the risk! Takumi places himself under the ball and seizes its velocity and trajectory just perfectly to stay still and pass the ball to Hog. Nice move… Hog shoots! It's there! Goa- No! It hit the crossbar and then the post! Masamune desperately hits it to a side!"

"That was extremely close…"

"The Backfire lifts it again and goes flying with the ball towards the goal. He wants to advance but Max uses all his power to cut his trajectory with a strong bump. Fireback gets sent away flying with that crash and appears to be very annoyed. Hog takes the ball, angry. Max appears again to cross him. Hog makes a front flip and wins the position, fiercely. Esper manages to hit it against one of the sides of Titans' pickup truck and the ball goes up yet again. Octane comes fast like an arrow! He shoots! Aftershock saves it with his roof when it was about to go in. The Titans are unloading all their artillery in these last seconds! They have to tie the game! Thirty seconds remaining! TK grabs it on one of the sides of the field. He takes it to the right corner and lifts it through the wall. Aftershock climbs rapidly over the goal to reject it. But TK deviates it in the last second to fool his rival and that's a great pass! Hog with the shot! Crossbar! The ball remains bouncing in the line and TK misses it when he was falling! Max sends the ball away with ten seconds to go! True Brothers carry the ball to the other side! Five seconds! Fireback wants to center it one more time but Esper blocks him! The ball rolls to a side! It's over! It's over! TK wants to lift it up but time is up! True Brothers with the comeback and the win!"

"Historical, Buzz! What a game by the Bros. to take the second game of the Semifinals. Two balls very close of their goal in the last minute. Just centimeters separating the ball from the tie. ¿Could it be the champions' luck? ¿Could they win and advance to the Finals?"

"One thing is sure, Poncho. We are having amazing Semifinals. Much more even than we had imagined. In some minutes we are going to transmit Fireworks vs. Sand Sharks and the emotions don't stop."

"We are seeing now how the Titans salute their rivals with great respect, showing an impeccable spirit of fair play. However, they look very frustrated because of the last failed shot attempts."

"We are moving on with the game analysis with our pal, Yuri!"

The Titans exit through the back of the goal and enter the tunnels. Fireworks meet them there but don't choke them with questions. They simple walk them to the workshop, offering them their company.

"Good game, guys. It's not your fault. It's just stuff that happens…" Delo talks to them with some words of comfort. Fireback answers him.

"I know, I know. So close… We will see the next game… But enough of this. You have to do your job, now. Let's speed up and head to the Coliseum, come on."


	16. Chapter 16: Today

**Chapter 16: Today**

The workshop is silent and attentive to the words of Delo. The members of Fireworks and Titans, with some mechanic Scarabs, form a semicircle and listen to the old leader.

"…and today is the day. Today we will prove that the last Final is history and we are here for more. Today… we put an end to the reign of the Sand Sharks!"

Delo finishes his encouraging speech and all the cars release some battle cries.

"See you out there, guys!" Octane announces the departure of his team to the grandstands. TK jokes before he leaves: "We will celebrate after the crushing win. Gizmo! I want four goals from you! Reverse goals…" Gizmo laughs nervously and promises to do his best.

"Are you ready, Zip? We can make history today."

"I think I am, V. I'll give my best."

"We have the whole stadium backing us up. Relax…"

After hearing the voice of the stadium announcing the line ups and names of both teams, Fireworks enter the tunnels. While they travel the route, they hear the muffled sound of the crowd through the concrete. The sheer noise causes the walls to tremble and the nervousness of Fireworks heavily increases. They have never witnessed such energy in the Coliseum. Almost the entire planet is supporting them.

When they enter the field, they see the stadium overflowing with cars. This place is, without any doubt, one of the fanciest stadiums in Psyonix. Even though they accomplish no purpose at all, old houses from the human era rise in one side of the stadium. Elegant buildings with red and round ceilings, with plenty of trees and bushes that embellish the landscape. On the other side, the grandstands. Exactly one half for each team. But in this case, more than ninety percent of the cars are here to support the local team, Fireworks.

When both teams enter the field, mixed feelings come up. Some booing is heard, aimed to the Sharks, among all the support for Fireworks. Zippy is completely astonished by what is going on in the place. The teams gather in the middle of the field. This time, the Sharks don't say a word. They just stand still and look at their rivals in an intimidating and authoritarian way. The lineup was always very intimidating. To start, Grog and Merc are two of the three biggest cars that exist. Ripper, with his spikes in the front part, is always a threat to the integrity of his rivals. And Dominus, with an arrogant and snobbish appearance, is the brain that orchestrates the ballet of death.

One second before they split up and go to their initial positions, Dom says just one thing: "You are gonna lose." And leaves. Grog retreats backwards without lifting his stare for even a second off his preys.

Already in their positions, Venom talks to the team: "Don't let them intimidate you, guys! We can do this!"

The countdown comes up like a sentence bell and the match begins. The Sharks start with a demolishing attitude and focused on their sole objective: to disconcert their rivals. Grog uses his great sturdiness to win the kickoff against the X-Devil. The ball rolls to Fireworks' goal and Gizmo clears it, calmly. Almost arriving to sharks' goal, nobody goes for it and Zippy accelerates. He is about to hit it when Merc charges him wildly from the side sending him flying far away.

"Hey!" Venom complains about the dirty move by the Sharks and goes near Zippy to see how damaged he is. Gizmo and Dev chase for the ball. "Are you ok, Zip?"

"I'll live… I didn't think they were going to come up with this."

"Me neither, dude. But we have to keep playing, come on."

Both of them rejoin the game. Dom, in his goal, shouts threatening stuff continuously: "Don't you dare to come near." "Do you remember Esper's brother?" "I would rather lose if I were you…" But Fireworks continue with their attack mode in the first two minutes and manage to corner their rivals. Zippy sends the ball to one of the corners and it bounces just right to make the perfect center pass. Gizmo manages to do an aerial shot and almost scores. But Dom saves it with great skill and Ripper takes the ball to initiate the counterattack. While he has the ball on the ground and travelling at high speed, Grog and Merc locate themselves at Ripper's front, both at his sides, setting up an impenetrable defense. And it succeeds. Merc cuts Venom off and Grog brutally pushes Dev from the goal line, which is empty now. Ripper just has to move forward and easily score. The Sharks take the lead with two minutes to go.

"They are pissing off the guys to get them out of the game…" Fireback doesn't hide his frustration before the evil, yet clever tactic of the Sharks.

A couple of minutes to the match's end, Delo's team is very irritated and not focused at all. Venom dominates the ball in the right side of the field and he feints Ripper as he was trying to block him. Ripper passes by next to him, but when he does, he scratches Venom's side with his spikes. Venom gets furious but continues. He makes a front flip to center the ball and Zippy tries to shoot. The ball goes far away from the goal and it's about to bounce in the right corner. But Gizmo climbs rapidly and intercepts it before it touches the wall. He shoots so quickly and strongly that the Sharks can't contain it. The ball enters in a blink of an eye in the top right corner of the goal.

"Gooooal!" The grandstands explode with joy when Dom can't save it and Grog misses his desperate try.

"Yes! Yes!" Delo celebrates too.

The Dominus curses and blames himself for the miss. Also, he promises to make the winning goal. The match continues and it's the last minute. With twenty seconds to go, the match is decided with a very controversial play. Grog sends a slow centered ball to Fireworks' area, but Gizmo clears it and the ball hits the roof. When it comes down, Venom dominates it superbly. He fools Ripper again in the middle of the field and only Dom and Merc, with more threats, await him. Suddenly, Zippy appears in Venom's periphery and receives his pass. Dom passes by. Only the Merc is defending. Zippy shoots precisely to his most near top corner. The ball hits the crossbar, then the side of the Merc, and remains bouncing in the goal line. Merc can't reach it and Venom just has to push it in. Without any boost, he front flips some times to reach it. When he is about to hit it, Dom barely touches him causing him to drift. Venom shoots but can't send it in. The ball hits the upper part of the goal and Merc clears it to the other side of the field. With his roof pointing to the ground and his look on the back of the goal, Venom can only hear the surprise of the public and the goal claxon. The Sharks have scored. To make things worse, the time is over. They have lost the game.

Furious, Venom thinks in starting a fight with the Dominus. He exits the Sharks' goal and goes directly to his rival. But he comes up with something else.

"Hey, Dominus!" "Dominus!" Dom turns around in the middle of laughs and celebration. The other three members stand behind him.

"What is wrong with this one?" asks Grog.

"You and me. Duel."

Yuri, close to the field, hears the conversation and communicates the news it to his teammates. Buzz suddenly speaks through the loudspeakers: "Oh, boy. It seems Venom is challenging Dominus to a duel. Will he accept? Will we see the first duel in the history of Psyonix!?"

"You have just sentenced yourself to death, newbie." Dom laughs and jokes with his teammates.

"V! Are you sure? It's too dangerous!" Zippy expresses his concern.

"I'm sure, Zip. I can beat him."

In the grandstands, Delo laments to have been left out of the decision. He sighs and says to the Titans: "This is the last thing that was supposed to happen. Damn… "

"Duuuuuueeeeeeeel!" exaggerates Buzz. "Am I dreaming, Poncho? When things couldn't get more exciting, a duel shows up! You know the rules, teams. The duel is going to take place immediately in Wasteland, where the third match was going to take place. The third game between Titans and True Brothers is postponed for the end of the day. So, Scarab people… good luck on finding a seat!"

The stadium empties like if it is on fire. No one wants to miss the duel. The first duel in Psyonix's entire history. The Titans hurry up even though they know they are going to let them in. The Sharks disappear in the tunnels and Fireworks is left alone in the middle of the field.

"You can do it, pal. We know you can." His teammates support him and Delo shows up to take the lead.

"You go on, guys. I want to chat with Venom just a moment."

The rest of the cars exit and the Coliseum remains silent.


	17. Chapter 17: The Duel

**Chapter 17: The Duel**

There's no more time. The duel is about to begin. Wasteland roars with a crowd overflowing in emotion and nervousness. In the crowd, there are all the remaining teams from the World Cup. Round Hope, New Era, Ion Blue, True Brothers and Titans. Nobody wants to miss the first duel of the planet. In the human era, only two times there was a duel in a World Cup. The first time was Backfire against Dominus. The member of the Sand Sharks won and left a deep scar in his rival. Losing a duel always meant humiliation. That's why there are so few of them in history books. The second time, Road Hog faced a very agile Paladin model who no longer exists. The pickup truck was very superior.

"Remember what I told you, boy. I believe in you." Delo says goodbye to Venom while he watches him entering the sandy terrain of Wasteland.

Both cars go to the center of the field and Buzz's voice resounds in all the place. After a brief presentation, they split up and go to their positions. They never stop looking at each other. Buzz requests for the minute of silence that distinguishes the previous moments of a duel. A mix of concentration, nerves and anxiety floods the arena. The minute of silence begins…

The wind lifts great portions of sand to the atmosphere. The whole stadium makes no sound at all and all the looks are upon Venom and Dominus. Thirty seconds. Fireback looks at Delo, who is nearer to the ground, and expresses his concern to him solely through a gaze. Dom looks at his teammates with confidence. Venom, with his eyes still on the ball. Ten seconds. When the clock reaches three seconds, the countdown begins. Three. Two. One. The duel has begun.

Venom goes full speed to the ball and, to his surprise, Dom doesn't move. He shoots to the right top corner and that's when his rival moves. Dom easily saves it and takes the ball to attack. Venom retreats back and waits. Dom approaches very slowly to the goal, waiting for some misstep from Venom. Finally, the car from Fireworks accelerates to clear the ball. Dom accelerates to his left, places the ball on top of his roof and propitiates a delicious lifted shot. Venom misses and passes by. Dom goes to the goal but brakes just some centimeters away from the line. He waits for Venom to comeback to push it backwards in the last moment possible. Early goal for the Sharks.

"Dominus will try to get you out of the game just as he did it in the last one. Don't let his jokes and teases change your game style." Venom remembers Delo's words and contains his anger.

"Nice shot," says Venom ironically.

"What a save," answers Dom.

They return to their kick off positions and the match continues. This time, both of them go towards the ball. It rolls to Venom's right side and he tries to make the shot TK taught him in one of the trainings. He lifts the ball through the wall, barely touches it and goes with it to the goal. When Dom jumps to block him, Venom activates his small amount of boost left and pushes the ball to change its trajectory. But it hits the post and doesn't enter. Venom is still trying to recover the fall when Dom takes the ball, calmly, and travels to his rival's goal to make the second goal of the match.

"No! That was so close…" TK regrets Venom's bad luck with his teammates.

While he is going to his kick off position, Venom thinks about changing the strategy. He decides not to attack and wait for his rival to do it so he can do a counterattack. But after the kick off, Dom plays around with the ball and lets the time to pass by. Venom starts to lose his temper and he panics. He does not want to lose. One last possibility appears in his mind: to do the same as Dom. Dirty play… When he recovers the ball, he attacks on his right side, his favorite side, and kicks the ball to the corner to center the ball to himself. The ball is going to Dom's area, and when he jumps to clear it, Venom crashes him and the Dominus flies inside of the goal. The car from Fireworks waits just two seconds for the ball to reach the area and hits the ball. Goal. Dominus recovers from the crash and looks at him with the rage of a psychopathic murderer.

"Oh, no… You don't know what you are doing, rookie. You can't even imagine what you have just started…"

The weather is now very windy and the game turns very difficult and sloppy. There's very little sunlight and the lights of the stadium are turned on within a minute and a half left to play. From the outside, the duel can barely be seen because of the sand in the air. Both cars are playing in a very physical and violent way. With multiple crashes and pushes, no one can score. Their bodyworks degrade with each crash but they couldn't care less. The mechanics will take care of that later.

Thirty seconds to go. Venom dominates it in the center of the field. Dom is in the goal. The wind is hitting Venom but he thinks of a way to use it to his favor. He hits the ball on purpose to the upper part of the goal to hit it again later, using the wind like an assistant. Unfortunately, Dom realizes his intentions and intercepts the ball in the middle of its trajectory. Venom was already jumping so he aborts the play immediately and returns desperately. Fifteen seconds remaining and Dom can make the goal that could wrap the game. To tease his rival, Dom flips and puts himself upside down. He turns on his boost and advances only with its force. He is about to make the 'turtle goal', but he miscalculates the shot and Venom has time to save it. Catching all the boosts from the ground, Venom comes back with an incredible speed. Crashing Dom would be extremely dangerous and could cause him severe damage. But he makes the decision to do it. Venom directly crashes into Dom in one of his sides and almost destroys him. Parts of his car are sent away as he flies away from the crash. Venom takes the ball and has a few seconds to make it to the other side.

Dom wakes up from the commotion and explodes in anger. He is so mad that he accelerates and goes to chase Venom. He takes all amount of boost possible.

Venom is just a few meters away from the goal line. One goal and the match goes to overtime. Before he scores, he manages to look far away to the grandstands, where his teammates are, and gets happy for the tie. But instead of looking cheerful, he just hears one desperate warning: "Careful, V!" Everyone shouts at the same time but it's too late. Dominus shows up like a beast in Venom's periphery and demolishes him.

"Nooooooooooooo!" The pain is felt on Zippy's piercing scream that echoes on the whole Wasteland.

The stadium takes some time to comprehend what just happened. The surprise becomes silence. The silence becomes confusion. And the confusion becomes panic. The atmosphere is gradually filled with screams, crying and chaos. The match finishes and the goals open up. Fireworks invade the field and go straight to Dom at supersonic speeds. The Titans realize that and enter the field too, to prevent the disaster. Many of the Scarab assistants enter with them. Grog, Merc and Ripper join the invasion. But they enter, as always, to cause trouble. Zippy charges full speed towards Dom, who crashes against Grog after he is hit. Zippy tries to attack him again but he encounters the gigantic Merc in his way.

"Where do you think you are going?"

"Murderer! Murderer!" Zippy shouts to Dom while he wrestles with Merc. Delo intervenes and tries to take away Zippy as far as possible. The Titans arrive to the epicenter of the clash and try to separate the cars. Everything is a mess. More than thirty cars are now in the field. Finally, a couple of batmobiles escort the Sharks to the exit.

"I told you not to win! This is your fault!" Dom yells to the rest of Fireworks and exits with more threats. "You are next, Titans! Think about it!" The Sharks finally disappear between more insults from Grog and Ripper.

Hog and Fireback, the most veteran cars, try to take the cars to the workshop. TK and Octane, however, are extremely enraged.

"How could they do this, Hog? They said it was forbidden!" complains TK with a cracked voice.

"I know, TK. I know… I don't understand how could they do it. But we have to leave now. We have to help the team."

They manage to convince the rest of Fireworks' cars to leave and they exit through the goal between a lot of Scarabs. Delo stays behind, comforting a broken Zippy.

The duel has finished. The first duel in the history of Psyonix. The first death in the history of Psyonix. Nobody can do anything about it. Injustice left its mark in Wasteland and another black chapter is written on this sport's pages. Winning now is the only choice.


	18. Chapter 18: The Night

**Chapter 18: The Night**

Fireback takes the ball in one side of his team's goal and wants to clear it, but misses. Hog corrects his mistake and sends it to the other side of the field. Esper receives the ball and sends it back to the Titans' goal with a strong hit. TK has plenty of time and jumps to hit it, but doesn't see Max, who changes the ball's direction and sends it in. The Titans are unable to lift their spirits and are suffering a crushing 4-0 in Neo Tokyo. As the Sharks control the matches' schedule, the third match between the Titans and True Brothers began a couple of minutes after the duel. Deeply hurt, the Titans suffer one of their toughest defeats in their history.

When Max scores, the drizzle stablishes in the place. The four Titans look at each other with confusion and sadness. They don't even speak. Their looks say it all. They don't complain, also. They only want the game to end. Max discretely tells his teammates to stop. He doesn't want to take advantage of the best team of all time at their worst.

Octane goes to the ball in the kick off and wins its possession. Thirty seconds remaining. Scoring four goals in less than a minute is a miracle that only happened very few times. But in thirty seconds, only once. Hog wrestles in one of the lifted sides with Masamune. He wins the possession and aims to the goal. Esper blocks him and the ball is pinched to the roof. TK and Shock fly at the same time to get it. The Takumi arrives first and makes a great pass. The ball hits the roof, then the upper part of the goal and remains floating in Brothers' area. Marauder grazes it and Hog can't take the shot, but Fireback appears behind him to shoot and score. Goal. The Titans manage to make at least one goal before the end of the match. And for the last kick off, they don't even try. They let the seconds to pass by and accept what it's about to happen. The Titans are eliminated from the World Cup.


	19. Chapter 19: The Meeting

**Chapter 19: The Meeting**

"Delo. Are you ready?" Hog and Fireback enter to one of the Beckwith Park's workshops.

"Let's go."

"Where are you going?" Gizmo and Dev ask almost at the same time.

"Marauder called us to talk about what happened. I don't know what he is up to, but it's better to have him on our side," explains Delo.

"In the meantime… Try to comfort Zippy. He is very hurt. I know we are all shocked and deeply sad but V was his teammate. We have to be there for him."

"We are gonna try, Hog. Thanks…" says Gizmo.

The three cars exit the Beckwith and start their trip to Neo Tokyo. The drizzle is still falling since the end of the game, a few hours ago. The wet tires roll through the streets of Psyonix. Only the engines are heard in the middle of the night. Everyone is at their homes, consumed by sadness and fear. The Scarab people have already admitted defeat. True Brothers are no match for the Sharks and they know it. The reigning team is set to rule yet another one hundred years.

"I think it's here," says Hog as he slows down.

"Are you sure? I can't notice anything," replies the DeLorean.

"So they told me…"

"Hey, Delo… Are you ok…? We didn't have the chance to talk very much after the game in Wasteland." The Backfire shows his concern.

"Not really… Venom was a great car. Always ready to learn and then teach it to his apprentice Zippy. There aren't so many faithful cars like him anymore. I still can't believe what they did to him…"

"Me neither. I didn't think they would reach that limit."

Hog ads: "It was going to happen in some point. Without human supervision, the Sharks can do whatever they want. I think they've noticed that when they were about to get eliminated in the second game. And that's why they scheduled the Final for tomorrow; to end this quickly and reign for another one hundred years."

"How can we even confront them if they just showed the world that they are going to do anything to remain in power?" asks Fireback.

"I don't know, buddy. I don't know," answers Hog.

"The only idea I can come up with is to try to get Paladin back," proposes the DeLorean, looking to the black and misty horizon.

"Oh, no, Delo. I don't even want to look at that traitor!" Fireback expresses his anger.

"We could try to get some information from him. At least by deceiving him." Hog thinks about the possibility.

The three cars think about it some seconds, while the drizzle fills the air and some few engines can be heard coming and going in the distance.

"How do we get to him? He is in Wasteland in the middle of the damn Sharks." Fireback again with his anger, but considering it.

Delo tells the others a barely convincing plan, revealing some weak details about their rivals. They all think about it and go for it.

"Well… I think it's the only thing we can do…" says Backfire, despondent.

"So… Deal?" asks Hog.

"Ah, guys… That's a very weak plan, if I ever heard one" The Marauder turns on his lights and reveals his presence, just a few meters from them.

"Son of a-" mumbles Fireback because of the surprise. "You have been here all the time!?"

"Yeah, sorry. At first I realized you didn't notice and then I got curious. Again, my bad. The plan is not terrible, but considering the circumstances there is a way better one. Before all… Hog, Fireback, I'm sorry about the game. We didn't want to take advantage from your pain."

"No hard feelings, Max. You did what you had to," answers Fireback, calmly.

"Anyway… I think that was the best thing that could have happened."

Delo is confused about that statement and Max goes on before anyone gets mad: "Listen carefully…"


	20. Chapter 20: Goodbye

**Chapter 20: Goodbye**

One hour after the sunrise in Psyonix, the members of Fireworks, Titans and True Brothers arrive to the place. Some Scarab, mechanics most of all, show up as well. The place is an immense field which contains the remains of very few cars. With the appropriate repairs, these human creations can live up to thousands of years before the damage of the core is too much to keep going. But some of them had failures and didn't have such a high life expectancy. Venom, of course, is the first car who isn't dead because of failures or "natural causes".

The cars form a circle around the site and wait in silence for some words from the DeLorean. After some minutes, he starts.

"Good morning… First of all, thank you for coming today. I mean it. I know we are not a crowd but we are enough. Today we gather to remember and honor our great friend Venom. As I was speaking with Hog and Fireback, I rarely had the opportunity to train such a faithful car like him. With deep pain I speak these words. I remember… in the human era, when we formed the team. I mean Fireworks. Gizmo, X-Devil, Venom and me. 'Are you ready to make history, guys?' that's what our agent kept telling us. A young and innocent Venom was so excited that he couldn't stop jumping. It was his first team. Hundreds years later, I look back and contemplate innumerable joys from the hand of Fireworks." He stops for a few seconds, looking at the distance remembering beautiful memories. Then he continues… "Venom died faithful to his friends. To his family. Striving to his limit to bring down the Sharks and give his people and the sport the future they deserve. That's why today I feel so grateful for have had him in my life." Delo approaches next to his friend's remains and says one last thing. "Goodbye, V…"

He retreats and goes back to the circle. Everyone intone a brief song of three lines in honor to Venom and begin to say goodbye one by one. Zippy is the last one.

Between tears, he manages to susurrate: "Thanks, V. I wouldn't be anything if it weren't for you. I promise to give my best to take your beloved Fireworks to the top."

A series of memories flash through Zippy's mind. His first doubles match with Venom (they won 2-1), the hard trainings under the rain and all the patience he had with him, their first championship final that they couldn't win but was still a beautiful experience… The last memory, the joy in Venom's eyes as he was about to tie the duel with Dominus. "Always thinking in the group…" realizes Zippy.

Some minutes pass by and Delo gently asks the Scarabs to leave so they can have a moment alone. He calls for the three teams.

"True Brothers. Titans. Fireworks… This will be our strength. The death of Venom will not be in vain. No! This won't sink us. For this, precisely, we will not stop. In honor to our friend. In his memory." The cars start to brace up. "Today we're going to make history in Psyonix. Today we're going to take the place that belongs to us! We can do it! We must!" He repeats it louder to awaken the cars from their grief. "We can do it!"

"Yes!" Zippy breaks the ice and propitiates a savage scream. The rest of them join and Delo proceeds.

"Come on! We have come so far… And for nothing? No, guys. Oh, no! Come closer!" The cars now form a very tight circle and start jumping and encouraging themselves with their voices.

"Who will take the Championship tonight?" asks Delo.

"Us!" shouts everyone.

"That's what you call motivation!? Who are going to beat these damn Sharks and restore this beautiful sport once and for all!?"

"US!" The earth trembles with the fierce exclamation.

"Oh, that was much better! One, two, three, True Brothers. Ok? One! Two! Three!" And everyone shouts:

"True Brothers!"

"One! Two! Three!"

"Fireworks!"

"One! Two! Three!"

"Titans!"

"Give me your best! One! Two! Three!

"YEAAAAH!" All of them roar in the face of the storm. The last battle is coming. The fight for the World Cup and power. More than power, peace and justice in Psyonix. Only a game separates them from the goal. Just a few hours. Just a rival impossible to beat. But they are ready…


	21. Chapter 21: The Final

**Chapter 21: The Final**

Just some minutes before the start of the Final, the Mannfield is overflowed with an expectant crowd. The support and encouragement is deafening and pretty intimidating. In a previous interview with Buzz and Poncho, Hog requested the city to attend the match at all costs. And it happened, without any doubt. With blind confidence, thousands of Scarab fill the air with their shouts and songs to the Brothers. Given the circumstances, every team except the Sharks would be backed up.

The stadium has immense tribunes to host the most number of fans possible. And also, it had been adapted for cars instead of humans, so it had to be built twice as big. It is an imposing stadium, now. And as the icing of the cake, the grandstands are extremely near from the field. That's why the visiting teams have always felt the pressure of the home fans in great levels. The time has come.

"Gentlemen… Scarab people… Ion Blue… Round Hope… New Era… Fireworks… Titans… The time has come to present the teams which are going to dispute… The Final of the Second World Cup of Rocket League in Psyonix!" Buzz manages to make his best effort to put a cheerful voice in spite of the pain he has for the recent events. "All yours, Poncho!"

"In the first place… The actual champions and thus the kings of Psyonix…" The atmosphere is filled with uneasiness and anger. "Let's receive the fearful, ruthless, the only ones… Sand Sharks!"

The whole Mannfield boos them and the Sand Sharks enter releasing insults and threats. Grog laughs at them. Dominus leads the group without saying a single word. Ripper and Merc are the ones in charge of provoking every single car on the stadium to gain their hate. As always, they show up like an unbreakable evil fortress.

"And their opponents today… After the big comeback and the huge surprise of making their way to the Final… Let's make some noise for the Sharks' rivals. The unique, the surprising, the inseparables… Trueeee Brotheeeeeeeeers!" The crowd explodes in support, encouragement, and in some cases unintelligible screams while Poncho is still yelling the name of the team.

Four shadows are seen behind of the fog that covers the goal of True Brothers. They remain still for a few seconds and, when they come out, the deafening noise from the crowd is reduced to pure silence.

"Is this a joke?" Dom asks to his teammates.

Instead of the members of True Brothers, they contemplate the Titans making a majestic entrance. The crowd gradually exits the state of shock and begins to cheer the name of the Titans at full volume.

"Okay, guys. We have to check with the organizers to see what is happening. Hang on, please…" The confused voice of Buzz is heard through the speakers.

"What the heck is this!? Go home, losers! You lost, remember!?" shouts Dom.

"Damn, Fireback. You are so old and senile… You lead your team to the wrong place," spews Ripper. Merc and Grog laugh. Buzz continues:

"It looks like we have a grateful surprise! We have been informed from the organizers that True Brothers signed up every member of the Titans as substitutes before the beginning of the Tournament!"

Hog is the one laughing, now.

"I bet you didn't see that coming."

In the grandstands, Delo tells Zippy what Max said to him the day before: "When we saw you with Titans in the Beckwith, we knew right away. We had to get a plan B. So we covered the four substitute spots without even asking. I'm sorry, but I think it was the best way. I cannot way to see Dom's reaction."

"Marvelous…" flatters Zippy with admiration.

Dom, furious, approaches Paladin, who is near the field. "Hey! I want you to go right now to ask the boss for instructions! Now!" Paladin leaves like a rocket.

In the meantime, Buzz announces a minute of silence in honor to Venom. A picture of him with a trophy that he won in the human era is shown in the big screen of the Mannfield and the Titans get filled with motivation. The stadium is in complete silence out of respect. The unique models in the place look at the Sharks with thirst for vengeance.

When the minute is over, Buzz proceeds to announce the line ups. While he's speaking, Paladin is back with some news. He whispers a few words and Dom seems to understand clearly. The match is about to start.

"…now let's get ready for the final countdown! Three! Two! One! And the Final of the World Cup has begun!

Hog goes to fight the kick off with Ripper. The ball rolls to a side a few meters and Grog aims towards it like a raging train. But he eludes the ball on purpose. Hog is confused and tries to understand what he is doing. Suddenly, he realizes.

"TK!" shouts Hog to his teammate, who is distracted collecting some boost.

Grog is nearer every second and gets ready to demolish him.


	22. Chapter 22: The Final - Part Two

**Chapter 22: The Final – Part Two**

TK slows down to see what is Hog shouting for. And when he does that, Grog passes by like a lightning and destroys TK's right front light. They've never explained how it worked, but everybody knew that the Sharks had only one chance to demolish per game. Whether the attempt succeeded or not, they had to wait until the next match to try again.

Delo jumps and celebrates in the grandstands, shouting wildly. With the failed demolition attempt, a just and fair game is going to take place, for sure. "That was close," thinks TK, nervous and filled with fear after seeing death itself pass by at supersonic speeds. But then, he rapidly recovers, and rabid, he charges Ripper, who was dominating the ball. He takes the ball for himself with authority, and hits it to the wall. The ball bounces and returns to the Takumi, who lifts it higher hitting it with his roof. Nobody knows from where did he came from but Octane is already there, flying gloriously, to shoot it to one of the Sharks' corners. The ball goes straight to one of the folds of the field's wall. As it's very difficult to determine if the ball is going to bounce and go to the center or to the side, the Sharks have to make a quick decision. Merc bets it's going to the side but fails. The ball goes right to the Sharks' area. TK jumps and shoots strongly, but it hits the crossbar and bounces in the goal's line. Dom pushes it to a side and Octane fails the shot. However, the ball is still near the line and Fireback, fed up with the almost-goal situation, penetrates the goal with the ball using all his boost. The stadium explodes in unison with the deafening "Gooooooal!" TK smiles and returns to his side. While he is going there, he grazes Grog's wheel to tease him and the revolt begins.

"Come here, you bastard!" Grog threatens and chases him but Hog blocks his way, fiercely.

"Hey! To your place, champ!" says Hog with a deep and intimidating voice. Grog looks at him for a few seconds. "Watch yourself…" says, backing up.

They all return to their positions and the countdowns does its thing. Octane goes to the kickoff against Merc. The ball goes to Titans' left side. Fireback wins the struggle with Ripper and accelerates, but Dom anticipates him. Counterattack for the Sharks. Octane tries to block him but Dom fools him with a fake-out and continues his way. Hog, in the goal, looks at Dom aggressively. Dom lifts it and tries to score over Hog, but the goalie is very quick and clears that ball. In the air, near the center of the field, four cars go to dispute the ball. Surprisingly, Grog arrives first and the ball returns to the Titans' goal. Hog grazes it but the ball is still going in. The Backfire is behind him as a fail proof and clears it, but Merc, using his characteristic corpulence, blocks it in a clever way and the ball rolls slowly to the goal. Grog celebrates even before the ball crosses the line. He celebrates purposely near Hog and laughs at him for his failed save attempt.

"Sorry guys," apologizes the Road Hog.

"Come on, Hog. No problem…" Fireback supports him.

Third kickoff. The next minute develops equally for each team. Hog and Merc stand out for their two incredible saves. The Titans are always crashed and pushed by the Sharks, but they don't stay behind and play with the ferocity worth of a World Cup's Final.

Reaching the middle of the game, the Sharks manage to score again. Dom lifts the ball through his right wall, travels with it through the entire corner and waits until the last second to touch it and make a simple but brilliant assist. Ripper flies with his boost, shoots and sends it inside the goal. TK tries to save it but he can't. A goal so basic gets leaked into the impressive Titans' defense. Very rare and frustrating. When Ripper scores, he imitates Zippy's cry after Venom's death, while he goes to his side of the field. The Titans get filled with rage but don't want to lose their temper.

It's almost dawn and some tenuous artificial lights begin to replace the sunlight. The Sharks are winning 2-1 with two minutes remaining. Within a minute to finish, the Titans pull out a great play. Octane leads a counterattack after foiling an attack from Ripper and Merc. TK is a few meters in front of Octane, at his right side. When Grog tries to cuts Octane's way, the one carrying the ball passes it in diagonal to his teammate TK, who backflips and returns the pass to Octane. The member of the Titans is now facing the goal, with only Dom defending it. What happens next is one of the most quick and precise aerial plays of history. Forming a kind of triangle, three of the Titans humiliate the Dominus. Octane lifts the ball to his left side, and Fireback, instead of shooting, backflips like TK before and returns it to Octane, who makes, with his roof, the same pass but to his right, where TK now shoots and sends it in. Dom remains totally still before the confusion. Incredible goal. The teams are tied with less than a minute to play.

To increase the emotion, after the kickoff, the ball gets strongly pinched, hits the wall and goes towards the Sharks' goal. Merc gets ready to clear it but doesn't see Hog, who anticipates rapidly and sends that ball to his nearer post. As he front flips to shoot, he loses sight of the ball and can't see it when it enters. The crowd reacts to the goal with great noise, and the rest of the Titans rush towards Hog to celebrate. The Mannfield, full of nerves, contemplates how the Titans turn the result to their favor.

"Thirty seconds, guys! Come on! We can do it!" Octane encourages his team to give it all until the end.

"This is killing me!" screams nervously Zippy in the grandstands. Paladin, from his place, silently stares at him.

"What are you looking at, traitor!?" Gizmo roars with violence and the others get look at him surprised. "Sorry… I had it in me for a long time…"

Buzz's voice is heard through the Mannfield:

"Thirty seconds to decide who the champion is! We are about to see the great final of the… Final!"

"What a poet…" interrupts Poncho.

"The Titans are winning 3-2. What's gonna happen? The teams go to their positions. The countdown's about to start and… the match continues, folks!"

It's TK versus Dom in the kickoff. The Sharks' leader seems to win the possession and accelerates towards the wall.

"Mine!" screams Hog and charges the ball, which is sent to the other side of the field. Dom looks at him sideways, with contempt. Merc receives the ball and after two seconds he manages to control it. He front flips, hitting the ball at ground level. The ball advances bouncing to the center of Titans' goal.

"Now!" orders Dom. The Titans don't know what's about to happen. While the ball is continuing its course, the Sharks sweep the path to the goal. Dom crashes TK, Grog shoots Octane towards a wall, and Ripper surprises Hog from behind. When Fireback jumps to save Merc's still traveling shot, the giant van displaces him with a massive hit to the lower part of the car. Fireback, old, screams of pain. He lands on his back and doesn't move. Their partners ignore the ball, which went in, and rush to attend the injured Backfire.

"Fireback! Are you ok?" When Octane approaches him, he realizes that his partner's missing a wheel. "Oh, no…" The old car manages to move a little bit and spit a few words: "Agh… That hurt more than hearing Hog sing…" The cars repress their laughs and help him to get straight.

The rules state that the only occasion when it's allowed to make substitutions in the middle of a Rocket League game is between the regular match time and the overtime.

"Can you hang on some seconds till the overtime?" asks Hog.

"What are you talking about? I'm fi-" Fireback accelerates only some centimeters and screams from pain yet again. "Nope. I'm not fine."

"You can do it, coach. Just a few seconds." TK supports him.

"Boooooriiiing! Come on! Get that fossil out!" Grog continues to gain the hate of the whole stadium.

Last kickoff of the game. The Titans win the possession and attack for the very last possible time before the end of the match. It's all or nothing. Less than ten seconds on the clock. TK goes to the wall and lifts the ball in the air. He wants to show his skills. And he succeeds. Almost arriving to the Sharks' area, he flips in the air and passes it down with his capot, causing Ripper to pass by. Octane shoots furiously. The ball is strongly shot to the center of the goal. Instead of entering, the worst thing possible happens. Luck smiles upon the Sharks in an incredible play. To save it, Dom and Grog both front flip to the center of the goal, pinching the ball at unimaginable speed to the opposite goal. Fireback, who was waiting on his side of the field, jumps to his side but misses. The whole stadium is devoid of hope as the ball continues its way to the goal. TK, Octane and Hog feel a void quickly growing in them. They see it all but can't do a single thing. Zippy closes his eyes and releases a slight "no". The ball keeps bouncing towards the Titans' goal to crown the Sand Sharks as the champions of the Second Rocket League World Cup in Psyonix.


	23. Chapter 23: The Final - Part Three

**Chapter 23: The Final – Part Three**

The ball bounces in the goal line with ninety nine percent of its mass inside the goal when the clock hits zero. And because it's making contact with the ground, the goal is not valid. If the ball would have been in the air, the Sharks would be celebrating.

"What happened? What happened!? Was it goal!?" asks Zippy, nervously.

"Yeeeeeeees!" yells Delo.

"Oh, really…?" Zippy asks with sadness and discouragement.

"Oh, no, no, no! Sorry! I was celebrating! We're going to overtime!"

"But what happened!?"

"Didn't it ever happen to you? When the clock reaches zero, every play is valid as long as the ball doesn't touch the ground. The match is over the moment any of the teams score or the ball lands. I'm so glad that the ball touched the ground!"

"Whew… What a relief! Come on, Delo! You scared me!"

"Sorry…"

The cars take a deep breath in the grandstands and laugh from relief. Buzz announces that the overtime is starting in two minutes. A member of True Brothers must replace Fireback.

"Mune! Are you ready?" asks Max.

"Me!?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Well, yes."

"What's that…?"

"If I go in it'll be a piece of cake!"

The Marauder bumps him and sends him to the field with The Titans. Mune goes laughing and he suddenly brakes. "Are you sure, Max? Don't you wanna play?"

"Trust me, bro. Your style fits them like a glove."

"Come on, Mune!" Shock encourages him before he leaves.

When TK sees Masamune arriving, he gets annoyed: "Oh… It's you…"

"It's not my fault that I'm a better version of you." And he backflips.

"Better version? We can check that after the Final, if you want. Let's see if those fancy lights are good for something."

Hog arrives after helping Fireback get to the workshop.

"Hog! How's coach?" asks TK.

"He says he doesn't want to miss the overtime and that he will replace his wheel later… Oh, Masamune. It's an honor to have you with us."

"Thanks, Road Hog. I'm not gonna let you down."

"Great. Let's go, then. Octane is almost here, too."

The ramshackle car finds his way to the grandstands and salutes his teammates on the field. From far away, Hog, TK and Octane return the salute.

"End of the road?" asks Delo to Fireback.

"Yeah… I really should retire after this," answers a tired Fireback.

"Don't worry. Retirement is not as hard as I thought it would be."

The Sharks approach the center of the field. The sunlight is gone. Artificial lights are the only illumination in the stadium now. Due to the rapid climate changes in Psyonix, dark and menacing clouds appear above the stadium, ready to explode at any moment. But for now, a drizzle. The overtime is about to start. The Titans lining up with Road Hog, Octane, Takumi and Masamune. On the other side, Ripper, Grog, Merc and Dominus await with thirst for destruction.

"You know the procedure, guys!" Hog starts talking few seconds before the countdown. "Mune! In these cases I stay in the goal all the time. If I have to go out for some reason, the one who is nearer covers me, quickly. You guys use your great agility to attack. Remember: Grog and Merc are two bricks. Focus. Ok? Come on!"

The cars go to their positions. Just like in a duel, the countdown does not begin from three, but from sixty. One whole minute of extreme tension and nervousness.

The minute starts. In this case, there's no silence at all. The crowd begins to cheer the name of the Titans louder and louder. Mune manages to see Max in the grandstands and gives him a confident look. Then he returns his sight to the ball because he's in charge of disputing the kickoff. Forty seconds… TK and Grog exchange some not so friendly looks. Suddenly, and despite the loud voices of the public, a monstrous thunder that rips the sky in two and surrounds the Mannfield. Many cars get scared and many others release sounds of amazement. It starts to rain. Twenty seconds… The one that scores takes home all the glory. Ten seconds… The engines are roaring loudly. The decisive moment arrives. Three… Two… One.


	24. Chapter 24: The Final - Part Four

**Chapter 24: The Final – Part Four**

The final part of the game begins. The one that decides it all. Mune arrives before Merc and sends the ball a little bit forwards and to the side. There, Grog and TK fight for it. Both of them make a front flip to advance with the ball but they block each other's way and the ball remains in the middle of them. They rapidly accelerate to win the possession. Grog moves the ball and TK with it, but the member of Titans doesn't give up. Octane joins from behind forming a kind of a rugby scrum, and now it's two versus one. Still, the bestial force of the Sharks' member compensates the struggle. Finally, an irritated Dom appears and shoots the ball to the wall, where it's lifted. When the ball is very high, almost near the celling, Ripper grazes it and boosts himself aiming towards the Titans' goal. With great speed, he is about to enter the goal with the ball. But Hog, with his strength, jumps and uses his boost to clear the ball to his left side. Ripper is sent flying away too and doesn't like it at all. When TK dominates that cleared ball, Ripper shows up, angry, and crashes him. He takes the ball to himself and tries to score again. He wants to feint Hog but misses. The Titans' pickup truck clears it one more time. When Ripper turns around, he realizes that Dom was free to receive a pass. Dom looks at him, mad.

"Focus, Ripper!"

The game is still fierce and a little bit clumsy at some moments. There's no time and space for the magical plays. The rain becomes heavier every second. The cars' vision is affected and the field is very muddy. In some plays, the ball gets stuck in water or mud puddles. Surprisingly, the public doesn't allow the climate to intimidate them. On the contrary, the rain seems to stir them up. "Tiiiitans, Tiiiitans…" is heard as background music in the Mannfield. When Mune sends a shot to the post, the volume increases critically.

"No! That was so close!" wails Esper next to his teammates.

And in the same play, in the counterattack, Dom would have scored if it wasn't for a puddle that slowed the trajectory of the ball. Octane managed to save it in the line and the public screamed again. The fans are so loud that the rain is relegated to the second place. Everybody knows that if it's not today, it's in one hundred years. And nobody wants to wait a hundred years…

Two intense minutes pass by and Dom begins to organize the Sharks' final stand.

"Now! Now!" screams the Dominus. "Let's finish this!"

Dom dominates the ball in his own goal and advances towards the opposite goal. His three teammates get positioned in front of him and in both sides, making the same play that they made against Fireworks. That play always had a great percentage of effectiveness.

"It looks like the Sharks are pulling out the dangerous diamond formation… Could this be the end!?" asks Buzz. "Dom carrying the ball with his bodyguard Grog on his front. Riper and Merc in both sides of him. The Titans seem lost! Octane comes out, trying to do something… Ooooh! What a crash from Grog! The enormous car from the Sharks sends Octane flying away, like a furious rhinoceros! How are the Titans going to stop them!? The attack goes on!"

"Mune! TK! With all your strength to Merc and Ripper! Grog is mine." Hog gives the order, and Octane, far away and beaten up, knows what his role in the plan is. The Titans ability to understand each other without a word being spoken was always supreme.

Mune and TK succeed and displace their rivals Merc and Ripper. The four cars are now battling and struggling on the sides of the field. Dom is still controlling the ball and he's already passed the half court line. He is approaching the goal with a locomotive named Grog in front of him. Hog knows there's no alternative. He accelerates using all of his boost. Grog, as soon as he sees it, does the same and aims towards his rival to destroy him. Dom gets ready to avoid the giants' clash. Once he avoids it he would have a free goal shot. Hog screams wildly before the collision. Dom turns right and sees it all from the side. Grog and Hog collide front to front in one of the most impressive crashes in Rocket League history. The crash is so intensively loud that it surpasses the volume of the public and the storm altogether. Both cars end up partially destroyed in their chassis. Neither of them moves now. Fireback drowns a desperate scream. The tribune makes silence after the collision. The play continues but nobody seems to be paying attention to it. When Octane arrives with his last strength and clears the ball (which hits the post before it's cleared), no one makes a sound. A save so spectacular goes totally unnoticed. All until Hog, finally, achieves to move. The public, as if it had been muted this whole time, explodes again in cheers and a powerful "Hog, Hog, Hog, Hog…!"

"Are you ok, Hog!? Can you keep playing!?" TK approaches him with extreme concern.

"Give me a moment… Do me a favor, TK." He looks at him with determination. "Please, end this…"

TK nods making an engine sound. Then he goes next to Mune.

"Hey, Mune! Remember the famous goal from the Esper brothers?"

"How couldn't I? It was magnificent…"

"What do you think about performing a little recreation?"

"Let's do it."

Octane fights the possession with Ripper. Grog's still not moving. Dom begins to gets desperate and doesn't know what to do. "Grog!" he yells to him to wake up. They are in disadvantage. The ball, after a series of bounces, rolls peacefully in front of TK, almost in the center of the field. Ripper and Octane are far away from the ball, so it's TK and Mune against Merc and Dom, in the goal.

"Now or never, TK!" screams the Masamune.

TK pushes the ball forwards and it rolls, gaining more speed as it advances. Mune is placed a few meters in front of TK and remains totally still. The ball hits the back of the Masamune and lifts in the air. Merc, who got out of the goal at full speed to block some potential play from Mune, passes by, totally fooled. The Takumi jumps, boosts himself and gets ready to shoot. But instead of that, he aims to the upper part of the goal, towards the crossbar. Dom, thinking it's going in, jumps quickly to save it. The ball hits the crossbar, as TK intended, and goes back to him, who is still in the air, he grazes it with his back wheels to send it softly to the ground. There is Mune, with plenty of space to shoot.

"Yours, Mune!" yells TK.

When he is about to hit it, Ripper crashes him and sends him away. However, he makes a severe mistake leaving Octane alone, who comes from behind and takes the bouncing ball. He shoots and sends it to the left lower corner; the impossible place for a goalie to reach. But for the surprise of all the Mannfield, the Dominus somehow manages to save it. But despite the effort, the friction produced by the goal's wall, Dom and the water, gets the ball pinched towards Octane again. With a gentle touch, he deposits the ball slowly in the center of the Sharks' goal.

The claxon that announces the goal is the same one that announces the end of the Sharks' empire. The grandstands manifest an explosion of joy and happiness. Octane celebrates it madly with his teammates. The teams in the grandstands can't contain the ecstasy and invade the field quickly. Jumping, celebrating and singing, Fireworks and True Brothers join the party. Through the speakers, Buzz is screaming and trumpets music can be heard. Just now, Grog reacts and returns confused to his goal.

"The Titans crown themselves as the new champions of the Rocket League World Cup!" announces Buzz, euphorically. Poncho joins in.

"Unbelievable, Buzz! Unbelievable! Against all odds, against every chance… the Titans bring down the Sand Sharks and declare the beginning of an exclusive century of sovereignty! Will they assume the power or will True Brothers do it?"

"We don't know, Poncho. But we have to-"

The audio is cut down in the stadium. The lights and the music, too. A very potent light illuminates the goal of the Sharks. The murmurs stop when the Sharks' members turn and look to the goal. Merc and Ripper fall back a little bit. When everyone sees him entering, they completely paralyze. A car twice as big as Merc (the biggest one) crosses the goal line and enters the field. A lot of memories from the Great Disappearance flow back as a waterfall to the Titans' mind.

"Sweet Tooth…" susurrates Fireback.

With a terrifying look, Sweet Tooth enters and silences the whole stadium with his sole presence. He looks like a rusty and abandoned ice cream truck. In his front, some spikes much larger than Ripper's. And to increase the horror, a big evil clown antenna is rising in the middle of his roof.

"I knew it." Delo confirms his suspicions towards the boss of the Sharks. The storm is now outstanding.

Sweet Tooth advances to where the teams were celebrating and reveals his creepy monstrous voice. "Titans… You never learn…" They look at him in silence. "It seems that what you did was not enough. I told you not to forbid demolitions. Look at what you've done…"

Hog stands for everyone, bravely: "That was on you! You killed Venom, bastard!"

Sweet Tooth laughs. "Heroes… You are nothing but a bunch of losers… We can't lower ourselves to the Scarab's standards! Can't you see that we are different!? We are superiors! The humans made them to serve, and us to rule!" His powerful voice resonates in every corner of the stadium. Sweet Tooth sighs. "If you want to make things difficult, so be it." With the sound of the fierce storm in the background, the Sharks' boss leaves slowly after dedicating the Titans a look fitting of a psychotic murderer. His subjects follow him. Before going back to the darkness, he releases one last threat.

"This is not over…"

They disappear and the Mannfield remains silent.

"What… was… that…?" Mune tries to break the silence.

"Come on, guys. Let's take this inside." Hog proposes to move the celebrations to the Beckwith. Or the Neo Tokyo. Or the DFH. Or any place but the Mannfield.

"Let me escort you to the workshop, Hog," offers Max.

All of a sudden, the lights, the music and the party return. The public, without any knowledge about what just happened, proceeds with the celebrations.

Now sheltered from the storm, Delo stops everyone at the hallways.

"Guys… I'm so proud of what you've done."

"Of what we've done," corrects Octane.

"Listen… I've heard some rumors of Sweet Tooth. That's the name of the monster who entered the field moments ago. Titans… We know that he tortured you during the Great Disappearance. And as he said, this is not over. Neither for us. We won't stop till he's destroyed. Don't be afraid. I don't know how, but we will come up with a plan. I'm sure of that. We are strong together…" Delo looks at every one of them, transmitting his confidence. "But know… I want you to enjoy this. Don't let this threat dim the joy of getting this prize. Look at your wheels… That mud is a symbol of your courage and devotion to this sport. You gave everything today, guys. Venom would be proud…" Everyone feels nostalgic, uncertain and happy at the same time. "On three?" A few seconds pass by and all the sadness feels like it's being drained through the door. Everyone begins to smile slowly. "Come ooooon… One! Two! Three!"

"CHAMPIOOOOOOONS!"


	25. Chapter 25: The Awards

**Chapter 25: The Awards**

A couple of days after the intense Final, the three teams decide that the DeLorean, Backfire, Max and Hog will be the ones in charge of the government. However, they all have a place to participate. The day before, the Awards day, Buzz announced in a bursting DFH the True Brothers' supremacy. As it was expected, the Sand Sharks didn't show up to the ceremony and nobody knows their current whereabouts. The Brothers accepted an immense golden trophy and the ownership of The Mansion: home of the current champions. The first thing they saw when they entered was a statue of huge proportions of Sweet Tooth in the middle of the main room. They decided to replace it with a much smaller one and in honor to Venom.


	26. Chapter 26 - Epilogue: The Discovery

**Epilogue: The Discovery**

"Quickly! Come here!" Esper arrives to the main hall, excited and nervous in equal amounts. Despite the confusion, everyone follows him.

"What's happening, Esper?" asks Dev.

"Have you forgotten!? The secret door…!" The cars accelerate twice as fast to reach the fifth underground floor of the Mansion. Aftershock and two scarabs are waiting for them there. When he sees them arriving, he gets very excited.

"I got it, guys. I got it… After all these years…"

TK looks at him in awe: "No way… Unbelievable…"

"Have you gone in?" asks Octane.

"Well, I wanted to wait for you, guys."

"Good call…" says Octane. "It wouldn't be nice if a herd of Sweet Tooths came out by surprise."

"What do you think it's in there?" asks a thrilled DeLorean.

"Trophies?" doubts Gizmo.

"I don't think so… It has to be something extremely important. Something worth being kept here on the safest place on Psyonix," answers Delo.

"And if it is so important why did they leave it here with us? Why didn't they take it?" Octane appears to be a little bit paranoid.

"Maybe it is a herd of Sweet Tooths after all…" jokes Mune.

"Well, enough with the chatter! Are we going in or not?" asks Fireback anxiously.

"Let's go." Shock gives the order to one of the Scarabs and the giant door begins to open.

"Oh… Not again!" yells Zippy, scaring half of the cars. "This place is similar to the one we found with Venom in the Mannfield some years ago. That's where we found you, Titans. See those containers? I think they are…"

"Cars…" completes Delo.

"More cars!?" Max asks curiously.

"I don't know… Let's see." Shock guides them through the darkness. They all turn on their lights to see what's ahead of them. They approach the first and nearer of the containers and look at their labels.

"Dominus GT… X-Devil MK2… Wow…" Gizmo is amazed by the names. "Look, Dev! This one has your name!"

"And some letters after it… I wonder what it means…" thinks out loud the X-Devil.

"And I hope this one here is not some kind of Dominus' twin because that would be awful," says Fireback, looking at the 'Dominus GT' label.

"Look at this!" shouts the Octane. "Hog! Come quickly!"

"Ha! It seems you are not the most intimidating car any more… Hoggy." TK teases his teammate.

Hog approaches the next container and sees the name on the label: "Road Hog XL".

"It must be monstrous…" Mune shows up, excited.

"Damn… It's not fair," complains Hog.

In the background, Masamune's laugh is heard. Everyone goes to see what is happening.

"Now there are… two! Two cars made to surpass TK!" And continues laughing.

"Takumi RX-T. What the heck is this!?" asks TK, frustrated. "Stop making alternative versions of myself. There's only one TK…"

The cars continue to explore the secret room, which due to its darkness, there's no way of telling how big it is.

"Guys… This is just the start… Look over there." Zippy points out to where more than ten containers are seen in the horizon. And that's just what they can see with their lights.

"Hotshot, Proteus, Triton… Oooohh! And look at that one!" Zippy screams out of emotion.

The cars check every container, one by one, asking questions about the labels, without knowing what's inside them.

"Hey, what about those buttons over there?" Mune observes them with curiosity and realizes way too late that they are in Fireback's trajectory.

"Fireback, watch out!"

But it's late. The antique Backfire presses one of the buttons on the ground and a loud alarm begins to sound in the room. Suddenly, some of the containers begin to empty and open slowly.

"Oh come on! Everything repeats exactly as it happened!" Zippy gets frustrated.

After a few seconds, the alarm goes off, the containers stop making noises and the doors are completely opened. To make it worse, all the lights from the cars stop functioning.

"Fireback!" yells Delo.

"Sorry… I didn't see them."

When the lights come back, many of the containers are empty. Hog is the one who finally says what everybody's thinking.

"This can't be good…"


End file.
